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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...
mint casino
  09/17/25
u mad? they're millionaires for life and Charlie Kirk i...
Thriller twinkling uncleanness
  09/17/25
The shows were like football ie loss leaders that they use t...
glittery mustard school cafeteria personal credit line
  09/17/25
right. but at this point the networks have collectively, ove...
mint casino
  09/17/25
Yes. The legacy media businesses were so absurdly profitable...
slimy area
  09/17/25
fma.
mint casino
  09/18/25
Yes they are.
glittery mustard school cafeteria personal credit line
  09/18/25
Carson was a huge cash cow. I saw one JRE episode had more v...
Peach shivering step-uncle's house giraffe
  09/17/25
iirc, Carson generated 20% of NBC's profits.
Crystalline zombie-like lodge
  09/17/25
Mostly because, back in the day, the hosts could jump ship t...
irradiated dark trump supporter
  09/17/25
When they say what?
big-titted hairraiser persian
  09/18/25
Carson and Leno followed the old school: gently mock all pol...
Crystalline zombie-like lodge
  09/18/25
Missed the joke there
big-titted hairraiser persian
  09/18/25
they used to have a monopoly and it turns out in America mos...
cheese-eating lemon kitty dilemma
  09/17/25
it blew my mind to learn that median age of a Colbert viewer...
Crystalline zombie-like lodge
  09/17/25
because they get 2-3 million viewers every night.
unholy electric school weed whacker
  09/18/25
I looked it up. They avg half that amount.
Peach shivering step-uncle's house giraffe
  09/18/25
they are basically youtube videos now, there is no reason to...
cheese-eating lemon kitty dilemma
  09/18/25
...
gaped native
  09/18/25
Isn't this almost entirely transaction costs? I don't wat...
Bossy Sanctuary
  09/18/25
Because it used to be that if someone could deliver you 4.5 ...
Avocado Provocative Menage
  09/18/25


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Date: September 17th, 2025 7:43 PM
Author: mint casino

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=2...id#49279513)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 7:56 PM
Author: Thriller twinkling uncleanness

u mad?

they're millionaires for life and Charlie Kirk is dead

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



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Date: September 17th, 2025 7:54 PM
Author: glittery mustard school cafeteria personal credit line

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=2...id#49279555)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 8:06 PM
Author: mint casino

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=2...id#49279599)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 11:35 PM
Author: slimy area

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=2...id#49280273)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 10:30 AM
Author: mint casino

fma.

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



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Date: September 18th, 2025 12:43 AM
Author: glittery mustard school cafeteria personal credit line

Yes they are.

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



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Date: September 17th, 2025 8:11 PM
Author: Peach shivering step-uncle's house giraffe

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=2...id#49279633)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 11:36 PM
Author: Crystalline zombie-like lodge

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

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



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Date: September 17th, 2025 7:55 PM
Author: irradiated dark trump supporter

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=2...id#49279556)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 10:39 AM
Author: big-titted hairraiser persian

When they say what?

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



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Date: September 18th, 2025 10:50 AM
Author: Crystalline zombie-like lodge

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=2...id#49281185)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 7:44 PM
Author: big-titted hairraiser persian

Missed the joke there

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2...id#49282670)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 11:37 PM
Author: cheese-eating lemon kitty dilemma

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=2...id#49280278)



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Date: September 17th, 2025 11:40 PM
Author: Crystalline zombie-like lodge

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=2...id#49280284)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 12:44 AM
Author: unholy electric school weed whacker

because they get 2-3 million viewers every night.

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



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Date: September 18th, 2025 1:21 AM
Author: Peach shivering step-uncle's house giraffe

I looked it up. They avg half that amount.

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



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Date: September 18th, 2025 1:32 AM
Author: cheese-eating lemon kitty dilemma

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=2...id#49280550)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 1:53 AM
Author: gaped native



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



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Date: September 18th, 2025 10:43 AM
Author: Bossy Sanctuary

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=2...id#49281169)



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Date: September 18th, 2025 5:43 PM
Author: Avocado Provocative Menage

Because it used to be that if someone could deliver you 4.5 million engaged viewers, versus 3.5 million engaged viewers, that was worth $100 million to the network.

Same reason tehy used to pay Frasier or Drew Carey $2 mm an episode.

It also used to be a place where the network shows could go and introduce the new sitcoms. But now the networks ahve no shows to promote.

And I read that the advertisers finally realized no one with a pulse is watching these shows - so the ad money is like 20% what it was even just a few years ago. People are spending that marketing money on key word advertising, influencers, or podcasts.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5776880&forum_id=2...id#49282353)