24 is ending its successful eight-season run this year, and the ad prices are going up accordingly. Ad Age is reporting that a :30 second slot during the final episode will cost $650,000, much more than the $200,000 – $250,000 being sought up front and greater than the $500,000 that was being asked for before the series would be canceled.
This reflects a similar situation of how ABC has been seeking nearly a million dollars per :30 second slot for the finale of Lost. This is a new attempt to position the end of these popular shows as events much like popular sporting matches. Whether this tactic remains viable in the long term for dramatic shows that usually see their ratings erode over time remains to be seen.
