American Idol Signs On Advertisers Macy’s and Zyrtec

American Idol Green Mile Cast

The American Idol reboot premieres on ABC Sunday March 11, featuring Ryan Seacrest as host and judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. And according to Variety sources, the show has lined up advertisers Macy’s and Zyrtec to integrate their products into the broadcast.

They will also see prominent ad pitches from Macy’s and Zyrtec. The retailer and the Johnson & Johnson allergy medication will be woven into the content of the musical-competition program, according to two people familiar with the matter, playing roles similar to the ones filled by big advertisers like Coke, Ford Motor and AT&T when “Idol” enjoyed a much-ballyhooed and top-rated run on Fox between 2002 and 2016.

The advertisers are believed to be paying whopping integration fees of between $1 million and $1.5 million for the broader affiliation with the show, according to one of these people. ABC declined to make executives available for comment. Spokepersons for Macy’s and Johnson & Johnson could not be reached for immediate comment.

For a comparison, MediaPost points out that Idol in its heyday (2006ish) on Fox could command around $25 million to $30 million for each season from each of their top advertisers–AT&T, Ford Motor and Coca-Cola.

ABC has relied heavily on the show’s  storied history as it sells the new American Idol to advertisers, reports Variety.

 Ad executives from the network have pointed potential clients to the success of NBC’s “The Voice” and “America’s Got Talent,” said one of the people familiar with the matter — and reminded them that “Idol” was the show that sparked the rise of the entire genre of competition shows. They have also touted “Idol” as an opportunity to reach families watching the show together, this person said.

And tellingly, securing host Ryan Seacrest’s return to the show was make or break for some of the advertisers’ decisions to sign on, says Variety.  Ryan’s return was even more important than which heavy hitting celebrities made up the judges panel.

As far as cost per spot, according to Variety, during last year’s upfront sales season, ABC sought an average of $179,807 for a 30-second ad in the Sunday broadcast of the show and an average of $164,492 for a 30-second ad in Monday’s episode. However, the network may have accepted anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 for a spot, according to sources.

During its salad days, Idol was commanding a half a million dollars and up for a 30 second spot. In fact, the cost of the American Idol finale in 2006 hit $1.3 million for a 30 second spot.

About mj santilli 34828 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!