CBS to receive about $9 million for Oprah interview with Meghan Markle, Prince Harry
CBS expects a huge audience to tune in Sunday evening to watch the network’s exclusive interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
According to ad buyers who spoke with The Wall Street Journal, “the network is charging advertisers a premium rate of about $325,000 for 30 seconds of air time during the program,” which amount to about twice what advertisers would normally pay CBS for a 30-second spot in that time period.
The high interest in the interview—and high cost for advertisers—led CBS to extend the special to a full two hours.
According to the WSJ, CBS beat out rival networks ABC and NBC for the rights to air the interview, produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions.
A familiar source with the agreement who spoke to The Journal said, “CBS paid a license fee of between $7 million and $9 million in the agreement, which gives CBS the rights to license the special in international markets including the U.K., where the interview is set to air Monday on ITV.”
CBS has promoted the special on the network’s news programs, with excerpts airing on The CBS Evening News and CBS The special, Oprah with Meghan And Harry: A Primetime Special, airs immediately following the network’s flagship magazine show, 60 Minutes, typically one of the highest-rated shows of the week—but the interview was not produced by CBS News, and is airing as part of CBS Entertainment.
