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Letter to the editor

They all bank on Britney

In the days after the Britney Spears soap opera rode a police-escorted gurney to its apex, celeb-mag sales spiked, traffic jammed gossip Web sites, tabloid TV ratings rose and paparazzi photo prices surged.

Magazines

Any time a magazine can boost newsstand sales past its average, the revenue is booked nearly entirely as profit, said John Harrington, who runs industry consulting agency Harrington Associates: "People prints 2.5-million copies and sells about an average of 1.5-million. If they have an issue that sells 2-million, the extra half-million goes to the bottom line." A newcomer, the U.S. version of Britain's OK!, has taken particular interest in Spears, putting her picture on the cover 54 times in the 103 issues since January 2006. "An editor's dream is to have a real-life soap opera unraveling in front of you, and Britney provides that every week," said Sarah Ivens, OK!'s U.S. editor. The magazine has a 10-person team in Los Angeles devoted to Spears coverage. Publisher Tom Morrisy said Spears drives newsstand sales and helped the magazine's ad revenue more than double to $51-million in 2007. OK! expects to turn a profit in 2008, three years after breaking into the market.

Television

Television ratings show that a major Britney Spears incident attracts viewers to each of the main entertainment news TV shows, too. "All of us sustained a major ratings spike" when Spears was taken to the hospital two weeks ago, said Charles Lachman, executive producer of Inside Edition. "It happens every time with her." It's more difficult to assess the economic gain for TV shows because they sell ads weeks in advance, with rates based on average expected ratings. If the show fails to deliver, it has to reimburse the advertiser, but there is no such compensation if ratings exceed expectations. Suffice it to say that advertisers love the extra attention. "Anything that boosts ratings is a win-win for everyone," said Shari Anne Brill, an analyst with ad buyer Carat USA.

... and the less than lucky

On the flip side, the Spears story isn't making money for everyone. There are costs involved, too. For instance, the increased scrutiny puts a burden on Los Angeles civil service units, which have to keep Spears safe and public spaces uncluttered. The L.A. Police Department wouldn't estimate the extra costs Spears generates. The Fire Department said it was considering charging Spears for the ambulance ride, but did not disclose how much. Spears' numerous court appearances - for custody hearings, divorce proceedings and a civil case - have more measurable effects. Richard Barrantes, chief of court services division of the L.A. County Sheriff's Office, said that when Spears and Federline were in court Oct. 26, his office billed the court $2,286.10 to cover the cost of extra security at the courthouse.

Photographers

X17's Francois Navarre said an exclusive shot of Britney Spears would sell for about $10,000 in the United States and generate thousands more in residuals. "She's the most expensive right now," he said. "For Angelina, for example, you divide by two or even three to get the price." In contrast, the average celebrity shot fetches $125 to $700, according to Scott McKiernan, founder of ZUMA Press photo agency. He said residual fees on exclusives can push the value of a unique Spears shot well past $100,000. X17, which owns the infamous picture of a bald Spears, has a team of photographers tracking her at all times. "For us, she's the star No. 1," Navarre said.

[Last modified January 29, 2008, 23:57:46]