Facing a ratings delay, CNN expects Thursday’s presidential debate to bring in huge amounts of money. Yet other networks are allowed to broadcast the live broadcast of the matchup, allowing them to outdo CNN in its own game.
The unusually early showdown between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is notable for a variety of reasons, including the two commercial breaks that will split the 90-minute debate. Presidential debates are historically conducted without advertising, but CNN is offering two tiers of advertising this year, with the most robust package costing a minimum of $1.5 million, sources told Semafor.
Although CNN hosts and moderates the debate from its Atlanta studios, other networks may sell their own ads during their simulcasts. Since some of these networks, like Fox News and MSNBC, typically have larger prime-time audiences than CNN, they might be able to sell ad slots for more money, Variety reports.
Under CNN rules, networks cannot fill commercial breaks with commentary from their own on-air personalities and must keep the CNN logo visible.
A CNN spokesperson told Business Insider that the network is making the debate available on various platforms in an effort to reach as many people as possible, and a Fox News representative pointed to the network’s press release regarding its cover. The other networks did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
As cable news channels like CNN face questions about their future, the presidential election presents a potential opportunity to increase their audience. As Semafor notes, so far the election hasn’t generated the same level of attention as recent elections, but debates — especially early ones — historically generate high viewership numbers.
Clea Conner, CEO of Open to Debate, a nonpartisan organization, told Politico that the decision to air ads is “shameful” and compared the event to reality TV.
“Even though there will only be two commercial breaks this time, once we deem them acceptable, we’re heading down a classic slippery slope,” she told Politico. “How many will there be next time, and the time after that?
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