When The Oprah Winfrey Show airs its final episode on May 25, 2011, the entire planet will be watching. Just like the Super Bowl, advertisers will pay an arm and a leg to showcase their products as the world watches Oprah sign-off.
How much will a 30-second commercial set back brand kingpins who want to be involved in Winfrey’s last hurrah? According to Horizon Media Inc., a New York-based advertising company, it will be a cool $1 million.
At that price, the ads will set a record for a nonsports daytime broadcast, per Horizon director of research Brad Adgate. The ad rate was reported April 4 in the trade magazine Brandweek.
When Friends signed off in 2004, a record 52.2 million viewers turned in. The ads went for $2 million for the prime time farewell. The last Super Bowl pulled in 111 million viewers and those 30 second ad spots went for $3 million.
After 25 years, Oprah’s final show will undoubtedly be filled with some over-the-top moments. The guest list is a closely guarded secret though we expect names to leak prior to the really BIG climax. We can’t wait.
Photos: Harpo