It’s no surprise advertisers continue to open their wallets for the NFL. Through the first four weeks of the 2019 season deliveries for all six of the NFL TV windows are up 3 percent year-over-year to 16.2 million viewers and a 9.4 household rating. The biggest gainer thus far is "Sunday Night Football," up 6 percent to 20.9 million viewers and a 12.1 rating, compared with 19.8 million viewers and an 11.5 rating last season. Fox has aired only one "Thursday Night Football" game exclusively this season as of press time, but that Eagles-Packers matchup averaged 17.6 million viewers and a 10.5 rating, up 22 percent and 18 percent, respectively.

It's also worth noting that Fox's nationally televised evening NFL games, which are not technically in primetime, cost about $689,988 for 30-seconds of commercial time, flat with last season.

Of 81 returning series on the big four broadcast networks and The CW, 49 saw the cost for a 30-second commercial decrease in the 2019-2020 season. Only 12 returning shows commanded a higher price point, and 20 were flat compared with last year.

Among the biggest decliners is NBC’s tear-jerker "This Is Us.” The drama took a 17 percent hit this season, averaging $359,413 for a 30-second spot, compared with $433,866 last year. But the series is still TV’s most expensive scripted program, remaining steady at No. 3 on the list.

Another notable decliner is Fox’s hip-hop drama “Empire.” In its final season, “Empire” comes in at No. 10, down five spots from last year. Advertisers paid $171,187 on average for a 30-second commercial in the series, a 21 percent decline from $216,171 in the year prior. Once a ratings boon for the network, “Empire” has petered out in recent years. It returned last month to a series low, pulling 3.4 million total viewers and 1.0 rating in live-plus-same day viewing.

But Fox boasts four of the top 10 costliest TV shows. This includes “The Masked Singer,” which debuts on the chart at No. 4, averaging $201,683 for a 30-second spot. The singing competition series, which pits undisclosed celebrities dressed in costumes against each other, was a surprise hit for Fox last season. While "The Masked Singer” returned for its second season to 8 million viewers in live-plus-same day viewing, this was down from the 10.3 million people that watched the premiere last season.

'The Masked Singer' sings for Fox.    Credit: Michael Becker/FOX

The Ryan Murphy drama "9-1-1” is also a new addition to the list, tied at No. 7. Advertisers paid $172,215 for a 30-second spot in the series, flat with last season.  

But it’s NBC that commands the biggest share, with half of the top 10 costliest shows on TV. “New Amsterdam” debuts on the list at No. 9. The medical drama saw a 33 percent surge for a 30-second spot in its sophomore season, costing advertisers $172,085, compared with $129,736 last year.

And “The Voice” takes the No. 5 and ties for the No. 7 spots for its performance and results shows, respectively. The Monday night performance episodes cost advertisers $192,983 on average, down 9 percent from last year, while the Tuesday night results shows cost $179,951, a 7 percent drop.

In its 16th season, ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” comes in at No. 6, up from No. 8 last year, with advertisers paying $186,026 on average. While that’s still a 9 percent dip from the $204,792 it cost for a 30-second commercial in “Grey’s” last season, the Shonda Rhimes medical drama is a stalwart performer for the alphabet network.  

It’s the only series ABC has in the top 10 this year, with “The Conners” being bumped from the list after debuting on the chart last year at No. 9. The spin-off of the “Roseanne” reboot cost advertisers $135,996, plunging 32 percent from last year.

Also noticeably missing from the top 10 is ABC’s comedy “Modern Family.” In its final season, “Modern Family,” which was once one of the most expensive series for advertisers on TV, cost $148,228, down 10 percent from last year. It’s a far cry from the $330,908 the series garnered for a 30-second spot at its peak in 2012, when it came in at No. 3 on Ad Age’s list.   

ABC’s comedies saw some of the biggest price hits this season: “American Housewife” declined 39 percent to $74,590; “Black-ish” cost $87,475, down 26 percent, and “Single Parents” was cut by 25 percent to $90,315.

The price for a commercial in ABC's 'American Housewife' took a big hit.    Credit: Michael Ansell/ABC

And “American Idol,” which ABC heavily invested in reviving in 2018, cost advertisers $121,986 on average, down 21 percent from $154,096 last season.

With CBS saying goodbye to “The Big Bang Theory” last season, the eye network doesn’t have any shows that crack the top 10. The ‘Big Bang” spin-off, “Young Sheldon,” was bumped from this year’s top 10 after coming in at No. 6 last year. Advertisers paid $160,698 for a 30-second spot, down 25 percent from $213,536 last season.

CBS’ Sunday night drama, “Madam Secretary,” which will end after this season, was also one of this year’s biggest decliners, costing $67,231 down 34 percent from $101,499 last year.

Ad Age's survey is assembled using information from as many as six media-buying agencies. (See our 2018 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.

Contributing: Anthony Crupi