Talking isn’t cheap when it comes to Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle.
CBS MORE 3.28%
pays a license fee of $ 7 million to $ 9 million for the broadcast rights to Mrs. 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., following the popular “60 Minutes” news magazine. Sunday is one of the biggest nights of TV consumption.
As part of the agreement between CBS and Ms. Winfrey’s producer Harpo Productions, the network also has rights to license the special to international markets. In the UK, the interview will air on Monday on ITV. CBS is a unit of ViacomCBS Inc.
A spokeswoman for the couple said they were not compensated for the interview.
CBS was looking for about $ 325,000 for 30 seconds of commercial time during the program, according to ad buyers, about twice the normal price of advertising time in that time period.
Harpo also launched Comcast Corp.
NBC and Walt Disney Co.
‘s ABC, said people familiar with the situation.
Mrs. Winfrey has ties to CBS. She had a brief stint as a member of the “60 Minutes” team and has long been friends with CBS News anchor Gayle King. In addition, CBS owns the company that distributed Ms. Winfrey’s daytime talk show.
Prince Harry and Mrs Markle said last year that they would be moving away from the British royal family. Its exit has been rocky. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as they are known, wanted to mark the mark “Sussex Royal”, but officials at Buckingham Palace said no.
The Sussex moved to Montecito, California, and have focused on several companies to create audio and video content, including a five-year deal with Netflix Inc.
which is valued at between $ 100 million, according to people familiar with the offer.
The couple no longer receives an expense from Prince Harry’s father, Prince Charles, or funds from the British taxpayer.
Interest in the interview has intensified in recent days after the clips promoting her were published, in which the couple talked about why they wanted to leave Buckingham Palace.
Television interviews with large entries used to be a staple of broadcast television. Networks would fight each other for top-notch news or celebrities. Although television news divisions say they don’t want to pay subjects for interviews, they often end up licensing images or paying consultants high fees to land the topic.
In this case, CBS News does not participate in the interview or is promoted as an informational event. The special is being scheduled by CBS’s entertainment division.
—Max Colchester contributed to this article.
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It appeared in the March 6, 2021 print edition as “CBS to Pay Royally for Winfrey’s Sussexes Interview.”