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Talking doesn’t come cheap when it comes to Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle.
CBS PLUS 3.28%
is paying a royalty of between $ 7 million and $ 9 million for the broadcast rights to Ms Winfrey’s interview with Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, according to people familiar with the pact.
The two-hour interview is scheduled for Sunday on CBS at 8 p.m. ET, following the network’s popular news magazine “60 Minutes.” Sunday is one of the biggest evenings in television consumption.
As part of the agreement between CBS and Ms. Winfrey’s production company, Harpo Productions, the network also has the right to license in international markets. In the UK, the interview will air Monday on ITV. CBS is a unit of ViacomCBS Inc.
A spokeswoman for the couple said they were not being paid for the upkeep.
According to ad buyers, CBS was looking for about $ 325,000 for 30 seconds of ad time during the program, or about twice the normal price of ad time during that time.
Harpo also launched Comcast Body
NBC and Walt Disney Co.
‘s ABC, people familiar with the situation said.
Ms. Winfrey has ties to CBS. She had a brief stint as a member of the “60 Minutes” crew and is a longtime friend with CBS News anchor Gayle King. Additionally, CBS owns the company that distributed Ms. Winfrey’s daytime talk show.
Prince Harry and Ms Markle said last year they would be leaving the British royal family. Their departure was difficult. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as they are known, wanted to register the ‘Sussex Royal’ trademark, but officials at Buckingham Palace said no.
The Sussexes moved to Montecito, California and focused on various businesses to create audio and video content, including a five-year pact with Netflix. Inc.
which is valued at around $ 100 million, according to people with knowledge of the deal.
The couple are no longer receiving an allowance from Prince Harry’s father, Prince Charles, or funds from the British taxpayer.
Interest in the interview has intensified in recent days after the release of promoting clips in which the couple explained why they wanted to leave Buckingham Palace.
Big-ticket TV interviews were a TV staple. The networks would compete to win the best journalists or celebrities. While TV news divisions say they are reluctant to pay subjects for interviews, they often end up licensing images or paying hefty fees to consultants to obtain the subject matter.
In this case, CBS News is not involved in the interview, nor is it presented as a news event. The special is programmed by the entertainment division of CBS.
—Max Colchester contributed to this article.
Copyright © 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Appeared in the print edition of March 6, 2021 under the title “ CBS to Pay Royalally for Winfrey’s Sussexes Interview ”.
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