OWN will see a big payday as advertisers scramble to pay premium advertising rates for a tour de force performance that will show Lance Armstrong, the seven time Tour de France champ, confess to his doping past, said a senior network executive.
Armstrong will make his confession on Oprah’s OWN talk show this week. The weeping extravaganza will take place over two days on “Oprah’s Next Chapter” show, and nearly all advertising spots have been sold out, according to the OWN president, Erik Logan.
The interview has created a tsunami of publicity for Oprah and her network, OWN, which launched in 2011 and has been mired in the ratings basement. Advertisers are banging on the door to get in on the action as the viewership for this interview could number in the millions.
OWN is giving top ad spots to companies that have stuck to Oprah’s side during her lean times at the new network. Those advertisers who commit to future shows are also getting preferential treatment. Sponsors who have stood with Oprah include Kellogg, Target and General Motors. The spots that remain are going to the scatter market which commands higher rates. Due to the interest in the Armstrong chronicle, the network is demanding a premium over the usual rates.
Oprah secures the highest ratings with celebrity interviews. The interview with Whitney Houston’s daughter attracted 3.5 million gawkers. It’s expected that Oprah, a skilled interviewer, will be able to wring some juicy details from Armstrong and his druggie life on the racing circuit. However, in a recent CBS interview, the experienced showgirl Oprah remained coy and refused to reveal any scandalous tidbits.
That sets the stage for a blockbuster show on OWN that will have her fans cheering her while appreciative advertisers pay out premium advertising dollars.
Read more at The Huffington Post. [3]