the 2021-22 season
the 2021-22 season
ABC and NBC tied for the most shows in the top 10, with four each, while CBS was shut out of the top spots.
The price for commercial time in the NFL’s two biggest nights continues to increase. NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” saw a 4% uptick in its price to $811,679 on average for a 30-second commercial. And “Thursday Night Football,” which is currently airing on Fox but will move to Amazon Prime next season, is commanding $635,439, up 2% from last year. So far, there’s been little clarity on how Amazon will bring “Thursday Night Football” to the ad marketplace.
Heading into its sixth and final season, which won’t debut until late October, NBC’s “This Is Us” comes in at No. 3, averaging $317,981. While this still makes it the most costly scripted show on TV, it’s down 33% from last season when it peaked at $476,352.
NBC’s “The Voice” remains TV’s most expensive reality show, with the Monday night performance episode costing advertisers $244,932 on average, landing it at No. 4, and the Tuesday night results show coming in at No. 6, costing $225,361.
Fox’s own singing competition series “The Masked Singer” slides into the 5th slot, averaging $234,702 for 30 seconds of commercial time, up 4% from last season.
In its 18th season, ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” keeps on kicking, holding steady in the No. 7 slot, averaging $206,799 for a 30-second commercial, on par with the Shonda Rhimes drama’s cost last year.
Despite the controversy surrounding ABC’s “The Bachelor” franchise last season, which resulted in longtime host Chris Harrison stepping away from the show, the reality dating series continues to cost more for advertisers.
“The Bachelorette,” which comes in at No. 8, was one of the biggest gainers of the season, up 24% to $191,824, while “The Bachelor,” at No. 9, cost $160,459, a 4% increase over last season.
ABC’s “American Idol” rounds out the top 10, costing $154,219 on average, up 30% from $118,334 last season. This marks the first time the OG reality singing competition has cracked Ad Age’s top 10 list since it moved from its original home on Fox to ABC in the 2014-2015 season. Since then the show has aired midseason, which has resulted in some media agencies not placing orders for “Idol” in time for consideration on the chart. In the 2013-2014 season, “Idol” came in at No. 2 and cost advertisers $355,946.
| 1 |  |
 Sunday Night Football
$811,679
|
| 2 |  |
 Thursday Night Football
$635,439
|
| 3 |  |
This Is Us
$317,981
|
| 4 |  |
The Voice
(Monday) $244,932
|
| 5 |  |
The Masked Singer
$234,702
|
| 6 |  |
The Voice
(Tuesday) $225,361
|
| 7 |  |
 Grey's Anatomy
$206,799
|
| 8 |  |
The Bachelorette
$191,824
|
| 9 |  |
The Bachelor
$160,459
|
| 10 |  |
American Idol
$154,219
|
None of CBS’s shows cracked the top 10, with “Young Sheldon,” which came in at No. 9 last year, bumped from the list. The spinoff of “The Big Bang Theory” saw a 9% decline in its price to $142,694.
While CBS doesn’t have any shows in the top 10, its Queen Latifah-led drama “The Equalizer” was the biggest gainer of the season, up 35% to $103,396. Other notable gainers include NBC’s “Law & Order: Organized Crime,” which increased 21% to $132,178; and ABC’s “Big Sky,” which gained 19% to $106,890 for 30 seconds of air time.
This year’s biggest decliners include CBS’s “Seal Team,” which saw its price decline 33% to $62,443 and “NCIS,” which fell 21% to $103,330; ABC’s “A Million Little Things,” which is down 25% to $94,797; and NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU,” which saw its price drop 20% to $120,318.
The NFL, as in prior years, leads the pack holding the two priciest spots. Reality series fill six of the top 10 shows, up from five in the 2020-21 season and three in the 2019-20 survey. Scripted series continue to slide, holding just two of the top 10 slots, down from three last year and five in the 2019-20 season.
Ad Age's survey is assembled using information from as many as six media-buying agencies. (See our 2020 pricing chart here.) The resulting prices should be viewed as directional indicators of unit cost and not the actual price that every advertiser paid for a 30-second spot. The numbers are based on agency estimates that can vary depending on the amount of inventory purchased from a network, the inclusion of any nontraditional advertising such as product placements, and the relationship that an advertiser and media-buying agency has with a network. Most TV advertising is typically purchased as part of larger negotiations, not on a one-off basis.
These estimates also reflect the prices that advertisers and networks agreed on in this year's upfront marketplace. Prices have likely changed for those buying spots closer to the air date in the so-called "scatter" market that follows.
| Network | Show | Day/Time | 2021 Price ($) | 2020 Price ($) | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1abc |
Dancing with the Stars | 108Monday 8 p.m. |
111,963 | 102,365 | 9% |
| 1abc |
The Good Doctor | 110Monday 10 p.m. |
123,953 | 126,055 | -2% |
| 1abc |
The Bachelorette | 208Tuesday 8 p.m. |
191,824 | 155,071 | 24% |
| 1abc |
Queens | 210Tuesday 10 p.m. |
93,496 | NA | NA |
| 1abc |
The Goldbergs | 308Wednesday 8 p.m. |
125,272 | 131,817 | -5% |
| 1abc |
The Wonder Years | 308Wednesday 8:30 p.m. |
109,260 | NA | NA |
| 1abc |
The Conners | 310Wednesday 9 p.m. |
129,783 | 136,112 | -5% |
| 1abc |
Home Economics | 310Wednesday 9:30 p.m. |
94,983 | NA | NA |
| 1abc |
A Million Little Things | 310Wednesday 10 p.m. |
94,797 | 126,783 | -25% |
| 1abc |
Station 19 | 408Thursday 8 p.m. |
121,424 | 110,588 | 10% |
| 1abc |
Grey's Anatomy | 408Thursday 9 p.m. |
206,799 | 213,829 | -3% |
| 1abc |
Big Sky | 410Thursday 10 p.m. |
106,890 | 89,731 | 19% |
| 1abc |
Shark Tank | 508Friday 8 p.m. |
86,627 | 86,451 | 0% |
| 1abc |
20/20 | 510Friday 9 p.m. |
48,607 | 39,899 | 22% |
| 1abc |
Saturday Night Football | 608Saturday 8 p.m. |
93,230 | 83,404 | 12% |
| 1abc |
America's Funniest Home Videos | 707Sunday 7 p.m. |
54,586 | 49,290 | 11% |
| 1abc |
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune | 708Sunday 8 p.m. |
99,889 | NA | NA |
| 1abc |
Supermarket Sweep | 709Sunday 9 p.m. |
82,191 | 77,648 | 6% |
| 1abc |
The Rookie | 710Sunday 10 p.m. |
74,734 | 67,889 | 10% |
| 1abc |
The Bachelor | midseason | 160,459 | 154,886 | 4% |
| 1abc |
American Idol | midseason | 154,219 | 118,343 | 30% |
2cbs |
The Neighborhood | 108Monday 8 p.m. |
101,123 | 107,785 | -6% |
| 2cbs |
Bob Hearts Abishola | 109Monday 8:30 p.m. |
80,983 | 90,701 | -11% |
| 2cbs |
NCIS | 109Monday 9 p.m. |
103,330 | 130,260 | -21% |
| 2cbs |
NCIS Hawaii | 210Monday 10 p.m. |
95,015 | NA | |
| 2cbs |
FBI | 208Tuesday 8 p.m. |
110,879 | 97,832 | 13% |
| 2cbs |
FBI: International | 209Tuesday 9 p.m. |
84,866 | NA | NA |
| 2cbs |
FBI: Most Wanted | 210Tuesday 10 p.m. |
82,347 | 81,543 | 1% |
| 2cbs |
Survivor | 308Wednesday 8 p.m. |
136,677 | -100NA | NA |
| 2cbs |
Tough As Nails | 309Wednesday 9 p.m. |
83,095 | -100NA | NA |
| 2cbs |
CSI: Vegas | 310Wednesday 10 p.m. |
109,430 | -100NA | NA |
| 2cbs |
Young Sheldon | 408Thursday 8 p.m. |
142,694 | 157,213 | -9% |
| 2cbs |
Unites States of Al | 409Thursday 8:30 p.m. |
87,051 | NA | NA |
| 2cbs |
Ghosts | 409Thursday 9 p.m. |
101,115 | NA | NA |
| 2cbs |
B Positive | 410Thursday 9:30 p.m. |
88,255 | 97,717 | -10% |
| 2cbs |
Bull | 110Thursday 10 p.m. |
81,399 | 92,557 | -12% |
| 2cbs |
S.W.A.T | 508Friday 8 p.m. |
83,298 | 98,639 | -16% |
| 2cbs |
Magnum P.I. | 509Friday 9 p.m. |
69,723 | 68,590 | 2% |
| 2cbs |
Blue Bloods | 510Friday 10 p.m. |
80,860 | 72,448 | 12% |
| 2cbs |
Drama encores | 608Saturday 8 p.m. |
18,224 | NA | NA |
| 2cbs |
Drama encores | 610Saturday 9 p.m. |
20,725 | NA | NA |
| 2cbs |
48 Hours | 612Saturday 10 p.m. |
35,759 | 33,853 | 6% |
| 2cbs |
60 Minutes | 707Sunday 7 p.m. |
126,212 | 129,733 | -3% |
| 2cbs |
The Equalizer | 708Sunday 8 p.m. |
103,396 | 76,555 | 35% |
| 2cbs |
NCIS: Los Angeles | 710Sunday 9 p.m. |
95,793 | 90,737 | 6% |
| 2cbs |
Seal Team | 711Sunday 10 p.m. |
62,443 | 92,705 | -33% |
4nbc |
The Voice | 108Monday 8 p.m. |
244,932 | 254,224 | -4% |
| 4nbc |
Orginary Joe | 110Monday 10 p.m. |
118,126 | NA | NA |
| 4nbc |
The Voice | 208Tuesday 8 p.m. |
225,361 | 216,970 | 4% |
| 4nbc |
La Brea | 209Tuesday 9 p.m. |
124,314 | NA | NA |
| 4nbc |
New Amsterdam | 210Tuesday 10 p.m. |
131,557 | 138,692 | -5% |
| 4nbc |
Chicago Med | 308Wednesday 8 p.m. |
134,922 | 135,242 | 0% |
| 4nbc |
Chicago Fire | 310Wednesday 9 p.m. |
131,731 | 133,567 | -1% |
| 4nbc |
Chicago P.D. | 312Wednesday 10 p.m. |
129,632 | 131,011 | -1% |
| 4nbc |
Law & Order: For the Defense | 408Thursday 8 p.m. |
115,530 | NA | NA |
| 4nbc |
Law & Order: SVU | 409Thursday 9 p.m. |
120,318 | 149,776 | -20% |
| 4nbc |
Law & Order: Organized Crime | 410Thursday 10 p.m. |
132,178 | 109,352 | 21% |
| 4nbc |
The Blacklist | 508Friday 8 p.m. |
88,003 | 86,530 | 2% |
| 4nbc |
Dateline | 509Friday 9 p.m. |
54,534 | 56,434 | -3% |
| 4nbc |
Football Night in America | 707Sunday 7 p.m. |
84,241 | 85,546 | -2% |
| 4nbc |
Sunday Night Football | 708Sunday 8 p.m. |
811,679 | 783,718 | 4% |
| 4nbc |
Mr. Mayor | midseason | 118,410 | 110,561 | 7% |
| 4nbc |
This is Us | midseason | 317,981 | 476,352 | -33% |
3fox |
9-1-1 | 108Monday 8 p.m. |
141,070 | -100NA | NA |
| 3fox |
The Big Leap | 109Monday 9 p.m. |
94,152 | NA | NA |
| 3fox |
The Resident | 208Tuesday 8 p.m. |
96,420 | NA | NA |
| 3fox |
Our Kind of People | 210Tuesday 9 p.m. |
82,006 | NA | NA |
| 3fox |
The Masked Singer | 308Wednesday 8 p.m. |
234,702 | 225,764 | 4% |
| 3fox |
Alter Ego | 310Wednesday 9 p.m. |
91,761 | NA | NA |
| 3fox |
Thursday Night Football | 408Thursday 8 p.m. |
635,439 | 624,626 | 2% |
| 3fox |
WWE's Smackdown Live | 508Friday 8 p.m. |
57,100 | 57,293 | 0% |
| 3fox |
Fox Sports Saturday | 608Saturday 8 p.m. |
74,522 | 77,930 | -4% |
| 3fox |
The Simpsons | 708Sunday 8 p.m. |
149,030 | 125,971 | 18% |
| 3fox |
The Great North | 709Sunday 8:30 p.m. |
84,138 | NA | NA |
| 3fox |
Bob's Burgers | 709Sunday 9 p.m. |
78,610 | 86,896 | -10% |
| 3fox |
Family Guy | 710Sunday 9:30 p.m. |
117,957 | 114,347 | 3% |
5cw |
All American | 108Monday 8 p.m. |
30,684 | 29,571 | 4% |
| 5cw |
4400 | 109Monday 9 p.m. |
24,431 | NA | NA |
| 5cw |
The Flash | 208Tuesday 8 p.m. |
46,801 | 49,113 | -5% |
| 5cw |
Riverdale | 209Tuesday 9 p.m. |
40,966 | 37,375 | 10% |
| 5cw |
DC's Legends of Tomorrow | 308Wednesday 8 p.m. |
20,285 | NA | NA |
| 5cw |
Batwoman | 309Wednesday 9 p.m. |
43,679 | 47,421 | -8% |
| 5cw |
Walker | 408Thursday 8 p.m. |
35,204 | NA | NA |
| 5cw |
Legacies | 408Thursday 9 p.m. |
30,944 | 30,273 | 2% |
| 5cw |
Penn & Teller: Fool Us | 508Friday 8 p.m. |
15,931 | 16,391 | -3% |
| 5cw |
Nancy Drew | 509Friday 9 p.m. |
25,982 | 29,116 | -11% |
| 5cw |
Whose Line Is It Anyway? | 608saturday 8 p.m. |
18,715 | 20,659 | -9% |
| 5cw |
World's Funniest Animals | 609Saturday 9 p.m. |
10,648 | NA | NA |
| 5cw |
Legends of the Hidden Temple | 708Sunday 8 p.m. |
24,151 | NA | NA |
| 5cw |
Killer Camp | 709Sunday 9 p.m. |
15,694 | NA | NA |