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why did networks pay late night hosts so much?

they were paying these guys $20,000,000k a year just for the...
essential, like shitting or pissing
  09/17/25
u mad? they're millionaires for life and Charlie Kirk i...
"""'"'"""''
  09/17/25
The shows were like football ie loss leaders that they use t...
.....;;,,.........;.;.;.;.,;,;,;.;.;,;
  09/17/25
right. but at this point the networks have collectively, ove...
essential, like shitting or pissing
  09/17/25
Yes. The legacy media businesses were so absurdly profitable...
,..,,,,,,....,,,...,
  09/17/25
fma.
essential, like shitting or pissing
  09/18/25
Yes they are.
.....;;,,.........;.;.;.;.,;,;,;.;.;,;
  09/18/25
Carson was a huge cash cow. I saw one JRE episode had more v...
gibberish (?)
  09/17/25
iirc, Carson generated 20% of NBC's profits.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
  09/17/25
Mostly because, back in the day, the hosts could jump ship t...
Jane Goodall of Asian Pussy
  09/17/25
When they say what?
He flexed his right muscle.
  09/18/25
Carson and Leno followed the old school: gently mock all pol...
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
  09/18/25
they used to have a monopoly and it turns out in America mos...
hank_scorpio
  09/17/25
it blew my mind to learn that median age of a Colbert viewer...
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
  09/17/25
because they get 2-3 million viewers every night.
Charlie Kirk
  09/18/25
I looked it up. They avg half that amount.
gibberish (?)
  09/18/25
they are basically youtube videos now, there is no reason to...
hank_scorpio
  09/18/25
...
Charlie Kirk Did Nothing Wrong
  09/18/25
Isn't this almost entirely transaction costs? I don't wat...
Barack Carcetti
  09/18/25


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Date: September 17th, 2025 7:43 PM
Author: essential, like shitting or pissing

they were paying these guys $20,000,000k a year just for the privilege of losing a few tens of millions more. i’m sure they could find someone who could do just as well (or better) for $1,000,000k a year. and there’s no way any significant number of people were tuning in out of some allegiance to “jimmy kimmel” or “stephen colbert.” how did this go on so long?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49279513)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 7:56 PM
Author: """'"'"""''

u mad?

they're millionaires for life and Charlie Kirk is dead

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49279558)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 7:54 PM
Author: .....;;,,.........;.;.;.;.,;,;,;.;.;,;


The shows were like football ie loss leaders that they use to promote their other properties. It’s obviously a concept that only really made sense in the world of 4 TV channels and only barely made sense after cable was widely adopted. Today there are like 50 podcasts that perform the same function more effectively and for like .0001% of the cost.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49279555)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 8:06 PM
Author: essential, like shitting or pissing

right. but at this point the networks have collectively, over the last decade, set aflame hundreds of millions of dollars on bloated salaries alone. are these hollywood boomers really just that retarded and disconnected from any personal or professional need to perform?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49279599)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 11:35 PM
Author: ,..,,,,,,....,,,...,

Yes. The legacy media businesses were so absurdly profitable that complete morons were promoted. Think about every person in America paying $100+/month for TV with ads.

Also producing a late night show is basically free other than the host cost: one set, no other meaningful paid talent, celebs come on to promote their shit (often owned by the same parent company). Back when people watched these shows printed money.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49280273)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 10:30 AM
Author: essential, like shitting or pissing

fma.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49281155)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 12:43 AM
Author: .....;;,,.........;.;.;.;.,;,;,;.;.;,;


Yes they are.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49280446)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 8:11 PM
Author: gibberish (?)

Carson was a huge cash cow. I saw one JRE episode had more views than all of the late night shows for the entire month combined.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49279633)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 11:36 PM
Author: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


iirc, Carson generated 20% of NBC's profits.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49280277)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 7:55 PM
Author: Jane Goodall of Asian Pussy

Mostly because, back in the day, the hosts could jump ship to a competing network and take most of their audience with them. Also so (((they))) could have complete control of when the hosts say.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49279556)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 10:39 AM
Author: He flexed his right muscle.

When they say what?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49281164)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 10:50 AM
Author: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


Carson and Leno followed the old school: gently mock all politicians regardless of party.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49281185)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 11:37 PM
Author: hank_scorpio

they used to have a monopoly and it turns out in America most successful things are run by absolute retards who don't realize when they've lost that

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49280278)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 11:40 PM
Author: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


it blew my mind to learn that median age of a Colbert viewer was 68. how the fuck can a network lose tens of millions, get geriatric viewers, and keep Colbert around? insanity.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49280284)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 12:44 AM
Author: Charlie Kirk

because they get 2-3 million viewers every night.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49280448)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 1:21 AM
Author: gibberish (?)

I looked it up. They avg half that amount.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49280523)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 1:32 AM
Author: hank_scorpio

they are basically youtube videos now, there is no reason to consider them as anything above their fellow content creators, and I'm sure they hate that

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49280550)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 1:53 AM
Author: Charlie Kirk Did Nothing Wrong (TDNW)



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49280577)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 10:43 AM
Author: Barack Carcetti

Isn't this almost entirely transaction costs?

I don't watch any of these shows, and sometimes it hurts my brain trying to imagine who find them entertaining, but whatever.

But there are millions of people (I assume mostly boomers) who watch these shows on autopilot, because that's what they're in the habit of doing. Local evening news comes on, then Kimmel or Colbert comes on...

Sure you could reimagine the entire genre and do something fresh, but that involves risk.

Maybe you could pay a guy 1 million dollars, and he's cheap, but then you need to get the audience used to him, and maybe they won't, or maybe they will, then you have to decide if its worth a raise to retain him.

Seems like its similar to why Tua and Trevor Lawrence get paid 50 million a year. Could you start over and pay a rookie fraction of that and get as good play? Maybe, you really want to risk it though? You positive you have enough rope with your owner to do that?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2в#49281169)