The average price of a 30-second spot was up from '18, with advertisers paying as much as $370,000 per unitGETTY IMAGES
The Nationals-Astros World Series helped Fox to "an increase" in revenue from '18, despite an 11% decrease in total viewership, according to Jon Lafayette of BROADCASTING & CABLE. For some of the games during Nats-Astros, the price per 30-second spot was "down from a year ago." However, the average price of a 30-second spot was up from '18, with advertisers "paying as much as $370,000 per unit." For Game 2, the "average cost was up 10% to $360,000 from $323,777 the prior year." But for the next three games, the "average price for a commercial was down." Game 3 prices were 7% "lower than the previous year"; they slipped 2.2% for Game 4 and dipped 0.6% in Game 5. As it became clear that the last two games of the series were "more likely to be played, advertisers bought spots." The prices were 2-3% "lower than for the first five games of the series." But the Game 6 and 7 prices were up from '17, when the series last went seven games. Average 30-second spots "cost 25% more" for Game 6 than they had in '17 and spots in the deciding Game 7 were up 15.7% (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 11/19).
