Despite Season 6 ratings dropping below Season 5’s, American Idol’s ad rates for the upcoming season are staying about the same as last year:
For the fourth consecutive season, Fox’s American Idol is network TV’s highest priced regular series for advertisers. The cost of a 30-second unit for upcoming episodes (which begin in January 2008) is $700,000 for both the Monday [sic] and Tuesday installments of the program, according to media buying and network sources. The cost for the Monday installment is roughly in line with last year, while the Tuesday time slot is commanding a slightly higher rate, those sources said.
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TV ad rates are subject to constant inflation. If the ratings for Season 6 had been better, the rates for Season 7 would have been set higher. Ad rates for time on Idol have always increased from season to season in the past; this is the first year that has not happened. So - yes, last year’s ratings will “cost” Fox and the 19 Empire this year.
Of course, Idol is still the top ranked series on TV, so they will still charge the top weekly rates. Fox and 19 won’t go broke.