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Over the years, many television shows and sitcoms have been made for our entertainment. While some have garnered a niche fan base, others have turned into money-making engines. The shows that usually generate the most revenue are those with a broader audience and accessible to a person of any age.
While many of these shows have ended, their networks and actors are still making lots of money through reruns and syndication revenues. And other shows, such as The Simpsons and Grey’s Anatomy, are still running and making millions. These shows are the highest-grossing in television history.
23 The Real Housewives (2006- )
Created by Scott Dunlop
Image via Bravo Watching a group of wealthy housewives cause drama doesn’t sound like a recipe for high-grossing TV, but you would be wrong. With the first installment of The Real Housewives franchise, The Real Housewives of Orange County, becoming an out-of-the-gate success, the franchise has spawned numerous installments that have each become money-making machines for both the cast, and Bravo.
How does The Real Housewives make its richest? Through ads, of course. When you have a franchise that is as hot as The Real Housewives, advertisers trip over themselves to attach their ads to the show. This rakes in money, and that gravy-train isn’t going to run dry anytime soon.
Release Date March 21, 2006
Creator Scott Dunlop
Cast Tamra Judge , Vicki Gunvalson , Shannon Storms Beador , Heather Dubrow
Seasons 18
22 Law & Order (1990- )
Created by Dick Wolf
Image via NBC Not only is the opening theme iconic (dun-dun!), but Law & Order is also a money-making machine. Premiering on NBC in 1990, Law & Order is a living masterclass in longevity, re-inventing itself across numerous spinoffs.
With so many episodes under its belt, it’s no wonder that Law & Order has inked a number of syndication deals, which keeps this franchise (and creator Dick Wolf) flushed with cash. To date, the Law & Order franchise has earned over $4 billion, largely in syndication deals. It’s proof that a show doesn’t need a streaming service to be profitable. All you need is the justice system, and a cool theme.
Release Date September 13, 1990
Main Genre Drama
Seasons 23
Creator(s) Dick Wolf
Writers Dick Wolf
21 Stranger Things (2016- )
Created by The Duffer Brothers
Image via Netflix Premiering at a time when Netflix original series were just beginning to get noticed, no one could have predicted that Stranger Things would become a billion-dollar series; but, that’s exactly what it became.
The supernatural series was an overnight sensation, and not only has it been a mainstay as one of the streaming service’s top shows, but Stranger Things became a merchandising machine, partitioning up with such iconic brands and Lego and Nike to bring to life the ‘80s esthetics that define the show. With the final season drawing near, it isn’t unfeasible for Stranger Things to cross the $2 billion mark when all is said and done.
Stranger Things
Release Date July 15, 2016
Creator Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
Main Genre Sci-Fi
Seasons 5
Studio Netflix
20 'The Office' (2005-2013)
Created by Greg Daniels
Image via NBC The Office is a hilarious mockmentary-sitcom series starring Steve Carell as Michael Scott, who manages a small paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and is a rather unconventional boss who is surrounded by a unique bunch of employees who each bring something to the table. The series is based on the 2001 BBC series created by and starring Ricky Gervais and, through its nine-season run, the show won several Primetime Emmy Awards as well as universal praise.
The Office eventually became a cultural phenomenon that even those who had never watched the show knew the main players and the name Dunder Mifflin. Carell reportedly made about $87,000 per episode in the first two seasons, and from then on, he earned $175,000 per episode. Throw in the series' merchandise and DVD sales, The Office reigns as one of the most profitable that continues to bring in cash. Even several years after the show's finale, The Office continues to be a beloved sitcom with a massive loyal fanbase and in 2019, NBCUniversal paid five hundred million dollars to stream the series.
Release Date March 24, 2005
Main Genre Sitcom
Seasons 9
Number of Episodes 201
Network NBC
19 'ER' (1994-2009)
Created by Michael Crichton
Image via NBC ER is the second longest-running medical drama series and follows the traumatic, stress-induced situations of doctors and medical professionals within the emergency room of a Chicago hospital. Along with the daily cases and patients, the series also focuses on the personal lives of the characters as well as the ethical and professional issues they all face on a regular basis.
The award-winning series is widely known for its complex cases as well as the array of notable guest stars. ER is also credited as a starting point for some of today's biggest names, including George Clooney, Angela Bassett, and Julianna Margulies. As of 2014, ER has grossed over three million dollars in television revenue and is currently streaming on several popular platforms, making it still a profitable series.
18 'South Park' (1997- )
Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Image via Comedy Central Since 1997, Trey Parker and Matt Stone's hilarious animated series, South Park, has reigned as one of the most popular and lucrative shows of all time and is currently still on air. Set in the small town of South Park, Colorado, the series follows the lives of four boys, Kyle Broflovski, Stan Marsh, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick (all voiced by Parker and Stone), as well as the antics of the other residents in town.
South Park's catalog is reportedly worth over one billion dollars and in 2021, Parker and Stone signed one of the biggest television deals in history with ViacomCBS for over nine hundred million dollars in exchange for six more seasons as well as fourteen films. Prior to the infamous deal, the creators had already raked in millions from the series as well as a 1999 feature film, South Park: The Movie, which made over eighty million dollars worldwide.
Release Date August 13, 1997
Main Genre Comedy
Seasons 27
Studio
17 'Mad Men' (2007-2015)
Created by Matthew Weiner
Jon Hamm stars as the dapper Don Draper in the American drama series, Mad Men, which is considered to be one of AMC's greatest shows of all time. Set in the 1960s in New York City, Draper fights to stay on top in the stressful, pressure-filled world of advertising. While Draper is one of the biggest and most successful players in the business, he's also a family man who struggles to find a balance between his professional and personal lives.
Mad Men took audiences by storm with its authentic setting and atmosphere plus well-developed, colorful characters that led to a successful seven-season run. The series reportedly earned over one hundred million dollars, which also includes DVD and iTunes sales, and continues to be streamed on AMC+ and purchased on other platforms, including Amazon Prime.
Mad Men
Release Date July 19, 2007
Creator Matthew Weiner
Main Genre Drama
Seasons 7
Studio AMC
16 'The Sopranos' (1999-2007)
Created by David Chase
Image via HBO The Sopranos is considered to be one of the most iconic series of all time and ultimately changed the landscape of the traditional television drama. Created by David Chase, The Sopranos follows New Jersey mob boss, Tony Soprano, played by the fabulous James Gandolfini, who tries to manage his unconventional career with his personal life as a father and husband, essentially living a double life full of stress and unpredictability.
The series was a surprise hit, becoming a water-cooler show that captivated American audiences. Gandolfini was reportedly paid about one million dollars per episode (or thirteen million a season), but the actor was extremely generous and would often times give other cast and crew members cuts of his earnings or gifts. In 2005, HBO sold The Sopranos to A&E for over two million dollars per episode, totaling to about a 200 million dollar deal, which, at the time, was a record price for a syndicated series.
Release Date January 10, 1999
Creator David Chase
Main Genre Drama
Seasons 6
Studio HBO
15 'NCIS' (2003-)
Created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill
Image via CBS NCIS, standing for Navel Criminal Investigative Services, has been on television since September 2003. With over 21 seasons and multiple spin-off series, it's one of the most profitable shows still airing. Through extensive syndication deals, international distribution, and merchandise, NCIS has proved it's worth the investment for CBS.
It's estimated that NCIS earned over $22.4 million over 440 episodes in 2022. Coupled with the multiple spin-off series, such as JAG, which made $11.4, not to mention NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawaii, and NCIS: Sydney all brought in their own figures. There's no question that NCIS is one of CBS' powerhouse profit earners.
Release Date September 23, 2003
Main Genre Crime
Seasons 22
14 'Survivor' (2000-)
Created by Charlie Parsons
Image via CBS Survivor is one of the most, if not the most, popular reality shows running on television. Pitting contestants against each other in physical and mental challenges is difficult on many levels, but for a show with an average of 8.3 million viewers, Survivor has made its way into one of the highest-grossing shows on television. However, production for the show is higher than most, seeing as they have to get contestants to remote parts of the world, hire staff to set up and tear down challenge courses, and pay the one million dollar prize to the winner, Survivor relies on ad revenue to bolster its success.
Advertisers were paying around $150,000 per 30-second ad slot at the beginning of the series in 2000. Now, more than 40 seasons later, advertisers are spending nearly $700,000 per 30-second ad slot and a single season could pull in over $100 million. All-star seasons could see more than $170 million. There's no question that one of the most popular reality shows is also the most profitable.
Release Date May 31, 2000
Cast Jeff Probst
Seasons 45
Rating
Studio
13 'Game of Thrones' (2011-2019)
Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Image via HBO Based on George R.R. Martin's book series "A Song of Ice and Fire,"Game of Thrones quickly became a global phenomenon, reaching the number one most-watched show in the world. Featuring large battles and CGI dragons breathing fire down upon townsfolk, each episode cost around $6 million in production, with a total budget of $1.5 billion.
The show aired on HBO, a subscription-based service, and Game of Thrones alone brought in $3.1 billion from those subscriptions, and a total of $4.4 billion over the 8 seasons on the network. However, the show extended beyond the television and the franchise sold merchandise from board games to videogames, which contributed to the broad financial success of the show.
Release Date April 17, 2011
Creator
Main Genre Drama
Seasons 8
12 'Breaking Bad' (2008-2013)
Created by Vince Gilligan
Image via AMC A science teacher discovers he has cancer and goes on a life-altering journey into drugs and gang members. A critical and financial success created by Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad skyrocketed to the top of the charts during its airtime. At its all-time height, the show was making $3 million per episode. AMC was charging $250,000 per 30-second ad slot for the final season with an average of 10.3 million viewers.
Breaking Bad was competing with other AMC shows like Mad Men and The Walking Dead, which were both financial successes in their own right, but none as large as Breaking Bad. Merchandise also contributed heavily to the show's success, with the invention of the iconic blue meth, which became a popular candy, as well as Walter's emblematic Pork Pie Hat.
Release Date January 20, 2008
Creator
Seasons 5
Rating
Network AMC
11 'The X-Files' (1993-2002)
Created by Chris Carter
Image via Fox One of the longest-running Sci-Fi shows on television and a fan favorite, The X-Files earned its place as one of the most profitable shows on television. However, its success isn't riding on TV profits alone, the show also had two feature-length movies created that bolstered its place as one of the highest-grossing tv shows.
Since its inception in 1993, The X-Files has brought in over $500 million in gross revenue over its 9 season run. In 1998 The X-Files movie was released in theaters, grossing over $198 million. The next movie, X-Files: I Want to Believe, grossed only $69 million worldwide, but overall the entire X-Files franchise has brought in over $1 billion through TV shows, movies, books and merchandise, making it one of the highest-grossing shows to ever air on television.
Release Date September 10, 1993
Main Genre Sci-Fi
Seasons 11
Creator Chris Carter
10 ‘Two and a Half Men’ (2003-2015)
Created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn
Two and a Half Men is a CBS sitcom that aired for 12 seasons from 2003 to 2015. Charlie Sheen played the leading character for most of the series, but after entering rehabilitation and making derogatory comments about the show’s creator, Chuck Lorre, he got kicked out of the show and his contract was terminated. Following this incident, the show replaced Sheen with Ashton Kutcher.
While Sheen was making $1.8 million per episode in the final seasons of his time on the series, Kutcher made less than half per episode, at $700,000. As for the show itself, CBS was selling 30-second ad spots in Two and a Half Men for $200,000 in 2011 (eighth season), which meant that the show grossed $155 million per season in ad revenue alone.
Release Date September 22, 2003
Creator Lee Aronsohn, Chuck Lorre
Main Genre Comedy
Seasons 12
Studio CBS
9 ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ (1996-2005)
Created by Philip Rosenthal
Image via CBS Everybody Loves Raymond quickly became a fan-favorite show not long after it premiered on CBS. The show was so popular that in the final two seasons of the show, leading actor Ray Romano made an estimated $1.75 million per episode. However, this struck a chord with the other cast members, who were an equally important part of the show but were only getting paid $160,000 per episode, compared to Romano’s whopping salary.
In response to this, Brad Garrett (who played Robert) and other actors who felt they were unfairly paid, walked out of set. Only after a new settlement of the cast's salary was made did the cast finally agree to come back to work. And although it has been over two decades since the show ended, Romano is reportedly still making $18 million per year through reruns.
Everybody Loves Raymond
Release Date September 13, 1996
Main Genre Comedy
Seasons 9
Network CBS
Creator Philip Rosenthal
8 ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ (2005-)
Created by Shonda Rhimes
Image via ABC With 19 seasons and counting, Grey’s Anatomy holds the record for the longest-running scripted primetime show on ABC and the longest-running scripted medical drama series of all time. It comes as no surprise that the billion-dollar-worth Shondaland series shows no signs of slowing down. When Patrick Dempsey was still on the show, he and Ellen Pompeo were reportedly earning the same salary, but Pompeo believed she should be making more.
Her salary was raised to a reported $575,000 per episode after Dempsey walked away from the show. In 2019, Pompeo earned $22 million and an additional $6 - $7 million from backend equity points. But when compared to how much Grey’s Anatomy has generated for Disney+ (nearly $3 billion), it’s only fair that Pompeo and the other cast members get paid millions for being the stars of the show.
Release Date March 27, 2005
Main Genre Drama
Seasons 21
7 ‘Seinfeld’ (1989-1998)
Created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld
Image via NBC Seinfeld is undoubtedly one of the most successful sitcoms to date. When it aired its final episode in 1998, around 76.3 million people tuned in to watch, which, according to The New York Times, made it the third most-watched finale in television history. Co-creator and star of the show Jerry Seinfeld became the first television actor to earn $1 million per episode, way before the cast of Friends earned that same amount in the early 2000s.
In terms of syndication, streaming rights, and merchandise, co-creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David initially kept 7.5% each of whatever the show earned. But as the show continued to gain popularity, they negotiated that figure to double, at 15% each. It is estimated that Seinfeld and David both still earn between $40 million and $60 million from the show's reruns each year.
Release Date July 5, 1989
Main Genre Comedy
Seasons 9
Creator Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld
Studio
Network NBC
6 ‘Frasier’ (1993-2004)
Created by David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee
Image via NBC Frasier is a spin-off of the sitcom Cheers, which follows the psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), who returns to Seattle as a radio show host. The show went on to be one of the most successful and well-liked spin-off series in history, and it ran for 11 seasons (264 episodes).
In 2005, a year after Frasier ended, the show had grossed more than $1.5 billion in revenues, of which $830 million were from licensing fees. In 2011, Netflix paid CBS $200 million to stream Frasier and other popular CBS shows, such as Cheers, Twin Peaks, Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, and Family Ties, for two years.
Release Date September 16, 1993
Main Genre Comedy
Seasons 11
Network NBC
5 ‘Cheers’ (1982-1993)
Created by Glenn and Les Charles and James Burrows
Before production companies sold syndication rights to other networks and channels, such things didn’t really exist or were really rare. According to Los Angeles Times,Cheers has always been a costly show to make, costing Paramount $2.2 million per episode, and its widely popular cast, such as Ted Danson, earned $450,000 per episode. But as Cheers attracted many viewers and were NBC’s most valuable show, they couldn’t afford to lose the show even though Paramount was losing more than $25 million annually in production costs.
In 1991, NBC earned an average of $330,000 per 30-second ad during the show, which amounted to $2.6 million per episode, so $115 million annually in ad revenues. Three decades later, the Cheers cast is still worth millions thanks to royalties and syndication earnings.
Release Date September 30, 1982
Main Genre Comedy
Seasons 11
Creator James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles
4 ‘The Big Bang Theory’ (2007-2019)
Created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady
Image via CBS In 2019, the longest-running multi-camera comedy series in TV history, The Big Bang Theory, ended its 12-season run. The sitcom stars were said to have earned nearly $1 million per episode by the final seasons of the show. In 2017, the five main stars of the show decided to take pay cuts of $100,000 each so that their co-stars, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch, who earned $100,000 compared to their $1 million per episode, would get a pay rise.
CBS was earning $125 million - $150 million per season just from ad revenues, and the show’s distributor Warner Bros. earned $1 billion through syndication revenues. The show and cast members would also generate more income through merchandise and future syndication revenues as well.
Release Date September 24, 2007
Seasons 12
Creator
Main Characters
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