'SNL' Ad Prices Soar

Ad prices for Saturday Night Live the venerable late-night NBC mainstay have soared over the past season, making the show as expensive a buy for Madison Avenue as some of TV’s top-rated primetime programs, according to estimates from media buyers as well as data from Standard Media Index, a tracker of ad spending.

According to Variety, a 30-second spot in the current season of “Saturday Night Live,” its 43rd, has sold in recent weeks for between $100,000 and $300,000, according to data from SMI. A person familiar with the matter says NBC has been seeking $230,000 for a 30-second ad in TV’s scatter market, when advertisers buy commercial time closer to air date. Meanwhile, the average cost of a 30-second ad in “SNL” during TV’s recent upfront sales season was $183,730, according to estimates from ad buyers.

To put those numbers in perspective, a package of ads in AMC’s “The Walking Dead” goes for more than $400,000 while a 30-second spot in ABC’s “Modern Family” costs more than $200,000.

The average cost of a 30-second ad in the show’s 2016-2017 season was $147,000, according to Standard Media Index. In the prior season, the average cost of a 30-second spot was $89,500, and the average cost of a half-minute commercial in the 2014-2015 season came to $92,500.

The show is enjoying a period of heightened ratings and relevance, thanks to its recent satire of the Trump administration, a rejuvenated “Weekend Update” segment and breakout performances by cast members like McKinnon and Leslie Jones.