Soap Budget's

[CSF]

Okay so I read a while back Y&R has a budget of like 1.4 million a week. GH has like 1.3 million a week. But what about the rest? Does anyone know the budget's? It would be interesting to know what the budget is for AMC, ATWT, B&B, OLTL.

Also, if anyone knows what some budgets used to be in the past, that might be quite interesting to share as well.

[DaytimeFan]

Y&R's budget is actually $1.25 million a week, it's been that for years.

[CSF]

Thanks DaytimeFan. Do you know of any others?

[DaytimeFan]

For some reason I recall GH as having a higher budget than Y&R (not that you can tell from what you see onscreen) and a long while ago, when DAYS had its budget slashed by 40% Y&RWorldTurner worked it out, it was under a million.

[brimike]

It's common knowledge that Days lost 40% when they re-upped with NBC. So I guess they're probably around 600,000 to 700,000 a week now

[CSF]

I think you are right. I remember reading a while back that i was like 1.3 something a week, but I could be mistaken. I wish I could find the article I read it in. I would love to know the budget of AMC and OLTL and ATWT and B&B.

[Gray Bunny]

It's certainly showing nowadays. Not only with the focus on cheap newbies, but that pier set has suddenly expanded and is now a hotbed of activity, a la GL's Main Street. And boy, The Brady Pub hasn't had such good business in years!

[JackPeyton]

really? like whom? the focus of that show is on a lot of people, and none are cheap newbies.

At one time didnt Days have the highest budget? Not that it ever showed on screen.

I think whatever Y&R's budget is they use it well.

GH's budget must go to its stars and sweeps, because it sure isnt on the sets. lol.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

GH's budget might be less now, but a few years ago, TV Guide reported that Y&R spent $1.25 million a week, and GH $1.3 million a week.

As much as five years ago, DAYS beat everyone, spending a whopping $1.6 million a week, which was slashed to $1.2 million or so in 2006, and is presently around $700,000 a week.

Not that you could have seen anything special in DAYS production-wise when they were spending as much as $1.6 million a week, but it just goes to show how bad that show's budget had been mismanaged for YEARS.

[Gray Bunny]

All the actors playing Stephanie, Melanie, Max, even Phillip are cheap. They're young and the 2 ladies have been there less than 2 years. Chelsea is young and cheap. Mia, the girl who gave Nicole her baby, is on contract, and isn't she like 15 or something really young in real life? I'm guessing they're not paying John Callahan much; he certainly wasn't brought on the show like some big-name soap star. Instead it was, "oh look, the guy who used to play Edmund... boy, he's not looking too good!" (but that's already in another thread!).

Chloe isn't big dollars, Daniel isn't big dollars, even John Aniston is still on recurring... it's no wonder all these people get featured some 4 days a week while the bigger names aren't on as much. The 2 former Passions stars aren't gonna be paid a lot, especially when they're used to a salary from the former lowest-rated soap.

And hell, I'm guessing Josh Taylor would stay on for free, just as long as he gets to show off his shiny botoxed forehead... oops, that's for another thread again!

[EricMontreal22]

I can check tomorrow but I think both Dan Wakefield's 1976 AMC book All her Children and the 1978 edition fo LaGuardia's soap book give sample budgets...

[Manny]

Wow.... I knew DAYS had one of the highest budgets, but I didn't realize they had THE highest. You could never tell. Unlike Y&R.. Wow, Y&R needs to make other soaps pay them to teach them how to handle a budget right.

[MarkH]

Is that total costs, including all production/post-production costs?

Does anyone know what CBS' license fee is? That would only be a proportion of cost.

I wonder mostly what GL's budget is, since that is reportedly the "cheapest" show?

[CSF]

I don't even want to assume what GL's budget might be. I feel like If I said $500,000, that might be way too high. I wouldn't even know where to begin. $100,000 a week?

[Jane1978]

Well, the show used to be a hot comodity during JER´s golden years so they could squeeze NBC tight. It´s well known fact Corday played hardball in 1996 and almost sold the show to ABC because NBC refused his demands. Now it´s the other way.

Besides, we only know what was the licence for Corday Production, but nobody knows how much Corday really invested into the show and how much ended in his pocket. He could easily keep the production budget at $1.2 million a week as well and keep the rest as profit. It´s very obvious from all the mismanaged hiring, firing and rehiring there was a lot of free money he could supply when needed.