Advertisers Line Up For Channel 4 Friends Finalé
Advertisers look set to pay up to £100,000 for a standard 30-second spot during the final episode of Channel 4’s long running American sitcom, Friends, which is due to be broadcast later this month.
A range of mobile phone brands, car manufacturers and beauty advertisers are fighting to secure airtime during the finalé of one of Channel 4’s highest rated shows, which could attract up to 7 million viewers.
The final episode of Friends will be screened on 28 May between the two opening-night shows of Big Brother. The rate for a single slot is understood to be around 70% higher than normal, as brands rush to target a core audience of lucrative 16 to 24 year-old viewers.
A spokesperson for Channel 4 confirmed that the hour long climax of the show will contain three centre breaks, as opposed to the usual one. Some spots have been sold as a package of airtime across E4 and Channel 4, but the remainder are being sold individually at a premium.
Around 20% of the slots remain unsold, but these look set to be snapped up quickly given that Channel 4 expects audiences for the Friends finalé to be up to 50% larger than the 4.5 million pulled in by the average episode.
Andrew Canter, broadcast director at the Media Planning Group, said: “Advertising costs were bound to be high during the last episode of Friends. The series has been heavily promoted and it’s going out with a bang, so the rates are justifiable.”
Channel 4 recently enjoyed a night of ratings success with the final episode of Sex and the City coming to a climactic end. A peak of 4.4 million viewers turned on to watch the culmination of the programme’s sixth series, which generated a significant amount of revenue with advertisers being charged around £70,000 for a single slot (see Over 4 Million Tune In For Sex And The City Finalé).
Channel Four: 020 7396 4444 www.channel4.co.uk
Recent Television Stories from NewsLine BARB Responds To Calls For Interactive Measurement BBC Loses Parkinson To ITV After More Than 30 Years ITV Announces New-Media Sales Appointments
Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive