CBS could lose a TON of money if “Two and a Half Men,” the network’s biggest cash cow, were to shut down permanently. And when we say a TON of money, we mean a TON of money!
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show being shut-down in the wake of Charlie Sheen‘s most recent problems could cause CBS and producer Warner Bros. to lose as much as $250 million dollars in domestic syndication and ad revenue.
Read more below:
In its eighth season, Men is the most-watched comedy on television, averaging 14.7 million viewers, while it is second only to ABC’s Modern Family among the ad-coveted younger demographic of 18-49-year-olds. CBS sells 30-second spots in Men for more than $200,000, according to media buyers, generating more than $3 million per episode. Kantar Media reports that the show grossed CBS more than $155 million in ad revenue last season alone.
And Men also is the network’s linchpin on Monday nights, helping to launch successful comedies including The Big Bang Theory and most recently Mike & Molly (both from Men co-creator and executive producer Chuck Lorre). There are currently only two new episodes of Menthat have not yet aired, and while CBS will save on license fees if production remains shut down, the loss of new Menwill certainly impact the overall performance of its Monday night lineup.
In a statement released to THR on Sunday, CBS again expressed concern for Sheen’s well-being but sought to distance the network from any potential deleterious effect of the actor’s behavior.
“Looking forward, the financial impact of the shutdown is not material to CBS,” the statement says. “Any ratings declines will be more than offset by the reduced programming costs for episodes lost this season. We will begin to address the scheduling issues this week. The network is strong and deep with hit series; we’re not reliant on one show. In addition, Two and a Half Menhas always performed well in repeats, and we have the option of ordering additional episodes of other popular comedies on the network.”
At this point, the final two new episodes are scheduled to air Feb. 7 and 14. (The first is fittingly titled “Three Hookers and a Philly Cheesesteak,” according to the CBS schedule.)
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
WOW!! Charlie Sheen really needs to get his sh*t together. Dude is costing folks a LOT of money with his shenanigans!!!
