The news landscape has been changing in big ways in recent months, with longtime hosts switching timeslots, leaving networks, and altogether shaking up the news scene. Megyn Kelly made headlines when she turned down a whopping offer from Fox News to make the jump to NBC, and it's been clear that NBC is looking to go all-in on her new show. Now, we know of one way that NBC will try to make bank on her series. NBCUniversal plans to hike the prices for ad time during her time slot.
Megyn Kelly's morning show will air in the 9 a.m. slot, and NBCUniversal is evidently looking to increase the cost of advertising during airtime by up to 30%. Price rises from season to season aren't uncommon, but a jump of 30% is definitely outside of the norm. Variety reports that primetime advertising rates are only estimated to rise 8% to 9% in the next TV season. The cost of a 30-second commercial in the 9 a.m. hour of Today (which will be replaced by Kelly's show) was $12,745, a sum that has not experienced much change in recent years.
This is not the first instance of NBC trying to hike the prices of ads for shows that air outside of primetime hours. NBC last year attempted to get primetime rates for ads during episodes of Saturday Night Live, which airs after the end of primetime. That particular push proved justified, as the 2016-2017 season for SNL was wildly successful, largely thanks to the political parodies leading up to and after the 2016 presidential election.
There are inherent risks when it comes to raising prices for ad times. For all that Megyn Kelly is a big name in TV news, NBC has no guarantees that viewers will flock to her 9 a.m. morning show, and so advertisers can't be absolutely sure that their investments in the hour will pay off. Similarly, advertisers could be put off by the price hike and take their business elsewhere in the 9 a.m. hour. Sure, the SNL gamble paid off, but who's to say that a gamble on a network newcomer -- even if she does land an interview with Vladimir Putin -- will do the same? We'll have to wait and see.
Megyn Kelly's new morning show will kick off this fall on NBC, but you can catch her sooner with her news magazine show on Sunday nights starting in June. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well. If streaming is more your style, our Netflix premiere schedule will help you out.
