ABC could be out $60M in lost ad revenue after cancelling ‘Roseanne’

“The abrupt cancellation of ‘Roseanne’ will not come cheap,” saidLacey Rose, television editor for The Hollywood Reporter.

“Although the decision was widely viewed as necessary given the racist nature of star Roseanne Barr’s social media attack on senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, several sources with knowledge of the situation suggest that ABC and parent company Disney could be on the hook for tens of millions of dollars,” Rose reported.

“And that doesn’t include the foregone ad revenue,” she said, citing an industry report from Kantar Media that said that the revival of the 1990s-era sitcom was expected to drive $60 million in advertising dollars.

“The ‘Roseanne’ aftermath: who gets paid?” Ms. Rose summarized.

She also said that her sources reveal that ABC producers won’t be able to invoke the “force majeure clause,” which allows them to cancel contracts due to unforeseen, catastrophic events.

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