People enjoy watching TV since it is a convenient form of entertainment that is available constantly. It can transport them into the distant past or to the stars.
Modern Family, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Cheers, Frasier, Seinfeld, Everyone Loves Raymond, The Simpsons, etc. are some of the most financially successful TV programs that have ever aired. They are given below with details.
Modern Family
“Modern Family,” an enormous success for ABC, made its premiere in 2009 and continued for 11 seasons. According to Variety, the sitcom’s 2020 season finale pulled in a fairly remarkable 7.4 million viewers, demonstrating its enormous appeal. From its 2014–15 seasons until its 2017–18 seasons, the show’s average commercial revenue remained stable between $224,000 and nearly $240,000 per 30-second spot, according to Statista The Hollywood Reporter claims that in a 2010 deal, USA Network paid $1.5 million for “Modern Family’s” syndication rights.
Friends
The fourth-largest viewership ever for a finale saw “Friends”‘ final episode in 2004 when its 10-season run came to an end, according to The New York Times, with 52.5 million viewers tuning in to NBC. Included in this are its six stars’ pretax earnings of almost $136 million each, or nearly $816 million overall. According to Forbes, Kevin Bright, David Crane, and Marta Kaufman have amassed a combined fortune of at least $550 million. A total of $4.8 billion is thought to have been made for Warner Bros thanks to “Friends.”
The Big Bang Theory
The 2007 premiere of the 12-season CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” marked its debut. The show has averaged 17.31 million viewers each episode. According to Variety, the series was so popular that the network wanted between $1.2 million and $1.5 million for a 30-second advertisement to run during the 2019 series finale. The average price for a 30-second ad spot was reportedly $258,500 for its 12th season, so this was special pricing for its final broadcast.
Cheers
The popular sitcom “Cheers” made its premiere in 1982 and lasted for 11 seasons. The New York Times reported that 80.4 million viewers watched the show’s final episode when it aired in 1993. According to the Associated Press, “Cheers”‘ 200th episode had the highest primetime rating of 1990 with approximately 27.5 million homes tuning in. According to the Los Angeles Times, Paramount calculated in 1991 that NBC made an average of $330,000 for each 30-second commercial spot during the program, or $2.6 million per episode.
Frasier
“Frasier,” a tremendously successful “Cheers” spin-off, aired from 1993 to 2004. According to a 2005 lawsuit brought against Paramount Pictures, the program generated more than $1.5 billion in earnings by 2005, which included almost $830 million in NBC network license fees. In 2011, Netflix spent $200 million to acquire the non-exclusive streaming rights for two years to many CBS programs, including “Frasier.”
Seinfeld
Seinfeld, which debuted in 1989 and ran for nine seasons on NBC, is one of the most popular television programs in history. The New York Times reported that 76.3 million viewers watched the series’ final episode when it aired in 1998, making it the third-largest finale audience in television history. AdAge claims that NBC earned $2 million for each 30-second commercial advertisement during the finale.
Everybody Loves Raymond
“Everybody Loves Raymond” was one of CBS’s top series from 1996 until 2005. According to The Hollywood Reporter, an incredible 32.9 million people turned in to see the season finale, enabling the network to command $1.22 million every 30-second ad spot. The show’s current earnings have not been disclosed, but People magazine estimated in 2003 that syndication fees were eventually anticipated to exceed $1 billion.
The Simpsons
The longest-running animated sitcom in television history, “The Simpsons,” has been airing since 1989. According to Statista, the price of a 30-second commercial spot during the 2020–21 season of the program was about $126,000. According to Variety, FX Networks’ FXX channel paid more than $750 million to Fox’s Twentieth Century Fox TV and Twentieth TV in 2013 for the first-ever syndication rights and VOD sales of the series.
Conclusion
Many excellent television programs have graced the airwaves over the years. Others have turned into cult masterpieces that have been syndicated for a significant profit, while others have simply served to entertain a certain audience. These beloved programs, which seem to last forever, might never become outdated. Several television shows continue to air in syndication decades after their final season. Others, though, are so well-liked that they’re running fresh episodes even if they’re already in syndication.
- What determines a TV program’s success?
Ans. The best stories feature excellent writing, unique concepts, and a deep understanding of what motivates and drives characters. You already know how important structure is if you’ve ever listened to a friend or coworker tell a long story that had no clear beginning, middle, or end.
- What is the most lucrative OTT television Show?
Ans. The futuristic K-drama survival thriller “Squid Game” emerged out of nowhere to become not just one of Netflix’s biggest shows of 2021, but possibly its largest show ever. The production budget for “Squid Game” was a little over $21 million, according to the Guardian. That amounts to about $1 billion in total revenue for Netflix.
