NBC cashes in on final Friends with extended episodes

Claire Billings,

October 02, 2002

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NBC cashes in on final Friends with extended episodes

LONDON - US TV network NBC is making the most of what is the very last series of the long-running hit comedy 'Friends' by extending it by two minutes an episode, in an attempt to eke out as much money from the show before it ends.

The move is believed to be a ploy by the network to cram in extra advertising during the show, which is claimed by a recent report to command around $470,000 (£300,000) a 30-second spot.

Extending the show by two minutes, so it runs from 8pm to 8.32pm on Thursdays, also means it runs over the beginning of shows on rival channels. This could encourage viewers to stay tuned in to NBC after 'Friends' has finished, rather than switching over to a show that they have already missed the beginning of.

NBC is defending the decision as an artistic one, not a commercial one, claiming that longer episodes mean more of the programme, not more ads.

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