A 30-second ad slot in the final episode of the popular TV series ‘Lost’ is currently going for around $900,000, the AdAge reports.

According to the article, the pricing has gone up 400% on last year’s $213,536 for a 30-second spot and is not far under the price for an ad slot in the Oscars broadcast.

The hefty cost is said to demonstrate advertisers’ increasing interest in what’s being called ‘event programming’. As people are turning to online on-demand services to watch shows in their own time, it has become much more difficult for advertisers to assemble a large crowd to which they can show their adverts.

According to Kris Magel, executive VP-director at Interpublic Group of Cos, the exceptional level of devotedness of the viewers of the show brings additional value to the advertisers.

He said: “There are many advertisers willing to pay a reasonable premium for inventory in programs that generate such a highly passionate and rabid fan base.”

The final episode of the hugely popular series will be aired in the US on 23 May. The three-hour special will start by an hour long recap of the show at 8pm and the grand finale will kick off at 9pm.

Source: The AdAge