'Idol' Spots Going For A Song (Plus $700,000)

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Heading into its fifth year, American Idol, Fox’s hit show, has set a new milestone for network TV: a record-high price tag for a 30-second commercial unit.

For the new fall season, the cost of a 30-second spot during the Wednesday night program has surpassed the $700,000 mark. That’s a first for any regularly scheduled prime-time network series. Sources with firsthand knowledge of the numbers confirmed that the average price for a 30-second unit in the program is $705,000, up about 7 percent from a year ago.

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