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Why CNN Is Asking 40 Times Its Normal Rate for Ad Time

Sep 3, 2015  •  Post A Comment

There’s a simple two-word reason that CNN is able to ask 40 times its usual rate for commercial time in its upcoming GOP primary debate: Donald Trump.

That’s the assessment of Jeanine Poggi, writing in Ad Age.

“The cable news network is charging as much as $200,000 for a 30-second spot in the prime-time brawl taking place on Sept. 16, according to a media buyer,” Poggi writes. “This is on par with the cost of buying commercial time in some broadcast prime-time series.”

Buyers indicated that a typical spot on CNN prime runs about $5,000, according to the report.

“Much of the buzz can be attributed to GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, whose polarizing viewpoints, crass comments and unpredictability have made for compelling TV,” the story adds, noting that Fox News drew an audience of 24 million earlier this month for the first GOP primary debate of the election cycle.

The turnout made the Fox News debate the most-watched cable program in history, exculding sports.

“Perhaps even more impressive, the debate drew 6.7 million viewers in the all-important 18-to-49 demographic,” Poggi reports. “This is more than double the 3.2 million people in total that watched the first GOP debate of the 2012 campaign.”

CNN’s debate is unlikely to match the numbers Fox News pulled in, but “it will likely come close,” the report says.

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One Comment

  1. Don’t be surprised if CNN exceeds. They have Fox promoting it for them every day on its shows. Those Fox News fans will definitely turn out and the anti-Fox people that wouldn’t watch the first one will watch this one on CNN.

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