Archive

Series Finales

The asking price for a 30-second ad on Oprah’s last show on Wednesday is reportedly $1 million. From Lost to Seinfeld to Friends, see how it stacks up against other historic final episodes.

galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---lost_usprgj
ario Perez / ABC via Getty Images
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---oprah_sm9lrz

Date: May 25, 2011
30 Second Cost Per Ad: Asking price reportedly $1 million

Charles Rex Arbogast / AP Photo
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---24_o7z4im

Date: May 24, 2010
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $650,000
Total Audience: 7 million

All data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research & Kantar Media

Everett Collection
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---lost_iov1bt

Date: May 23, 2010
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $900,000
Total Audience: 13.6 million

ario Perez / ABC via Getty Images
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---er_ibs77p

Date: April 2, 2009
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $236,000
Total Audience: 16.4 million

galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---will-and-grace_vksgbw

Date: May 18, 2006
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $292,000
Total Audience: 18.4 million

Chris Haston, NBCU Photo Bank / AP Photo
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---raymond_su4fsc

Date: May 16, 2005
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $1,220,600
Total Audience: 32.9 million

AP Photo
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---nypd-blue_seuvuu

Date: March 1, 2005
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $195,300
Total Audience: 16.1 million

20th Century Fox / Everett Collection
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---frasier_lgf6r3

Date: May 13, 2004
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $570,400
Total Audience: 25.2 million

AP Photo
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---friends_aguggx

Date: May 6, 2004
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $2,000,000
Total Audience: 52.5 million

Richard Cartwright, NBCU Photo Bank / AP Photo
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---ally-mcbeal_gkrp7n

Date: May 20, 2002
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $582,600
Total Audience: 11.5 million

Everett Collection
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---x-files_wawkbo

Date: May 19, 2002
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $679,700
Total Audience: 13.2 million

Getty Images
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---90210_yltae0

Date: May 17, 2000
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $400,000
Total Audience: 14.4 million

Everett Collection
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---home-improvement_yitomw

Date: May 25, 1999
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $242,700
Total Audience: 35.5 million

Everett Collection
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---mad-about-you_knql2m

Date: May 24, 1999
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $406,000
Total Audience: 19.8 million

Gary Null, NBCU Photo Bank / AP Photo
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---melrose-place_cekf5z

Date: May 24, 1999
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $300,500
Total Audience: 10.4 million

AP Photo
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---the-nanny_h2knvm

Date: May 12, 1999
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $106,900
Total Audience: 11.1 million

CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---seinfeld_stxzvi

Date: May 14, 1998
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $1,424,400
Total Audience: 76.3 million

Joseph Del Valle, NBCU Photo Bank / AP Photo
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---married-with-children_jnmdlu

Date: May 5, 1997
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $103,500
Total Audience: 15.2 million

Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---cheers_gdog9q

Date: May 20, 1993
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $650,000
Total Audience: 80.4 million

AP Photo
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---the-tonight-show_jrbpgr

Date: May 22, 1992
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $200,000
Total Audience: 41.4 million

AP Photo
galleries/2011/05/23/series-finales/series-finales---mash_aedxi3

Date: February 28, 1993
30 Second Cost Per Ad: $450,000
Total Audience: 105.9 million

Century Fox Film Corp / Courtesy Everett Collection