The LA Times’ Steve Battaglio wrote a lengthy feature this week about Dateline, referring to the show as a “pop culture phenomenon,” and noting its rabid fan base–which includes Taylor Swift and Bill Hader–as well as how the show was able to haul triple-figure millions of dollars in 2018.
Battaglio writes:
While NBC won’t reveal financials for “Dateline,” research firm Standard Media Index says the program took in $127.3 million in network and syndication ad revenue in 2018, up slightly from 2017. With each hour costing less than $400,000 to produce, by some estimates the program is generating over $100 million in annual profit.
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NBC News decided to provide Battaglio with behind the scenes access to Crimecon 2019, an event dedicated to fanatics of the true crime genre.
The correspondents of NBC’s “Dateline” got a rock star-worthy welcome when they took to the stage in a packed ballroom at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel last month…
“They are like the Rolling Stones of true crime,” said Greta Griffin, a 32-year-old mother of three who traveled from Springfield, Mo., to see Keith Morrison, Josh Mankiewicz and Dennis Murphy at the event. “Everybody just thinks they are cool.”