Law & Order deal may cost NBC up to $1.65B
The cost of the most successful TV shows continues to rise as the production companies wise up to how lucrative their shows are for the networks -- the three existing Law & Order dramas plus one new one are being packaged into the biggest television deal ever -- according to this SF Chronicle story:
NBC already pays the highest prices in television for two of its long- running hit shows, "Friends" and "ER" Now the network faces an earlier-than- expected renegotiation of another cornerstone of its top-rated lineup: its successful franchise of three "Law & Order" dramas.
Universal Television, the studio that produces the "Law & Order" shows, is planning to bundle all three into one deal, even though two of the shows have two seasons left on their contracts. Universal wants to have the settlement wrapped up by December. And the total price tag Universal executives are aiming to reach -- more than $550 million a year -- would make the deal the most lucrative agreement in television history.