• by Wayne Friedman , January 15, 2010

Coca-Cola gets some big-star media value for its on-air, branded content on "American Idol" -- a sparkling $12 million just from the show's initial premiere episode.

Front Row Analytics, the Philadelphia-based sponsorship evaluation and measurement arm of Comcast-Spectacor, said the beverage company had "exposure by 340 total sequences, including logo recognition, product endorsement, and signage," which amounted to $11,966,667 for the show's January 12 season debut.

Media estimates are that Coca-Cola's seasonal media buying and product placement investment in the show comes to some $50 million to $60 million, making a great return on investment.

That level of investment is also paid out by the show's two other major sponsors: Ford Motor and AT&T. In addition, AT&T gets a piece of the text/phone messages that go into the show's regular voting for the singing competition.

Coca-Cola gets consistent on-air exposure with every episode, because of its omnipresent logo-ed cups that appear regularly in shots on the judges' desks. Front Row did not observe other sponsor activities.

Ford's sponsored music videos, which are the car company's big in-show branded content in "Idol," do not start until later in the season. Viewer voting using AT&T phone numbers also begins with future episodes.

Coke increasingly gains exposure and media value as the number of contestants is narrowed down, and the drama surrounding the competition builds throughout the season.

"Coke has obtained a competitive edge over all of its competitors by being part of a show which so many people see on a weekly basis," stated Eric Smallwood, vice president of project management for Front Row.

This week, the ninth season of Fox's "Idol" premiered with a two-night, three-and-a-half-hour special.