The astronomical cost of making The Big Bang Theory

WITH its cast demanding ever-higher salaries, The Big Bang Theory now costs millions per episode to make. Just how much longer can it last?

The Big Bang Theory cast are the highest-paid actors on television. Picture: Richard Cartwright/CBS via Getty Images

WHILE The Big Bang Theory is easily one of the most popular shows on television, spiralling costs could mean its stars have less pulling financial power than they thought.

The sitcom’s core cast — Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco — are all already the highest paid actors on television, pocketing $US1 million per episode for their work on the show. That’s $US24 million per season, each.

However, Variety reports that, with the trio’s contracts up after the current 10th season of the show, they may not have much room to negotiate themselves even bigger salaries — and may even have to take a pay cut should they wish to continue in the roles that made them household names.

The richest geeks on TV.

At this point, Big Bang Theory’s weekly costs have spiralled out to $US9 million per episode — an astronomical amount for a simple multi-camera sitcom. At least half of those costs are eaten up by cast salaries, with even supporting players like Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar now commanding around $US900,000 per episode.

And it’s the show’s longevity that may work against the cast in negotiations, Variety reports.

By the end of season nine, Big Bang Theory had amassed 211 episodes. That’s enough content for the show’s home network in the US — and channels around the world that screen it, like Nine here in Australia — to run episodes up to five days a week for almost a year without ever having to repeat an episode.

While Big Bang Theory has generated more than $1 billion in revenue to date, it’s unlikely the networks will want to commit to an even more expensive cost-per-episode — north of $US10 million a week — when they already have hundreds of existing episodes to draw from.

The cast members each command between $900,000 and $1 million per episode. Picture: Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images

Of course, there are other incentives to keeping the top-rating show alive: CBS can charge around $US350,000 per 30-second advertising spot during Big Bang, and enjoy a good relationship with the show’s creator, sitcom whiz Chuck Lorre, which could extend to future prospects.

And with their million-dollar-a-week earnings, money may not be a concern for the cast when it comes to their next — and likely final — round of contract negotiations.

“At this point in the show’s history, the spirit among the stars is so strong that the incentive to strike a new deal will be less about securing a huge raise and more about protecting the show’s legacy in what is expected to be its final seasons,” Variety states.

This story originally appeared on Fox News and is republished here with permission.