• B&C, Tuesday, June 22, 2010 10:33 PM

Oprah Winfrey's last season in syndication will be an expensive one for sponsors. And the spots are going quickly. According to ad buyers, CBS Television Distribution has been seeking big price hikes in the upfront market for commercials in "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and is looking for "crazy numbers" for spots in her final episode in September 2011 -- several times the $100,000 per 30 seconds some advertisers already pay, reports B&C.

Numbers ranging from $500,000 up to $1 million are being bandied about. "Advertisers realize that this is their last chance to be part of history, so ad time for the final season, final week and final episode are selling at a rapid pace and for record dollars. Everyone wants to jump on board for what will be a momentous TV milestone," said a CTD rep. Still, Oprah's ratings were down 6% last year and that despite CBS' projections, it's unclear the final season will lure enough viewers to reverse the trend.

The $1 million price tag would put Oprah in the same league as the finales of "Lost"  ($950,000 per spot), "Everyone Loves Raymond" ($1.3 million) and "Seinfeld" ($1.4 million), says the New York Post. But those were prime-time shows with audiences several times bigger than Oprah's -- meaning she will be commanding prices far above the norm.

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