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CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- ABC Family has scooped up the cable rights to the WB's "Smallville" in a deal valued north of $26.4 million, beating out competiting bids from Sci Fi Channel and Spike TV.
The cable channel will pay about $400,000 per episode for the series, slightly less than it shelled out for the off-network rights to "Gilmore Girls" ($425,000 per episode) back in January 2003. Distributor Warner Bros. Television is also expected to sell a weekend play of "Smallville" to local stations across the country beginning in the fall of 2005.
In addition, ABC Family has snagged the cable rights to fellow WB series "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment" for about $200,000 per episode. Both "Smallville" and "Jamie Kennedy" are currently in their third seasons on the Frog.
The duo, along with "Gilmore Girls," will all kick off their five-night-a-week runs this fall on ABC Family.
For those interested, here's a look at how "Smallville" and "Jamie Kennedy's" deals stack up when compared to other recent cable pacts (amounts listed are per episode fees):
$1,600,000 - "C.S.I." (Spike TV)
$1,550,000 - "Law & Order: S.V.U." (USA)
$1,350,000 - "Without a Trace" (TNT, fall 2004/2006)
$1,025,000 - "C.S.I.: Miami" (A&E, fall 2004/2006)
$900,000 - "ER" (TNT)
$800,000 - "Crossing Jordan" (A&E)
$800,000 - "Law & Order" (TNT)
$700,000 - "N.Y.P.D. Blue" (TNT/Court TV)
$700,000 - "Third Watch" (A&E)
$600,000 - "Charmed" (TNT)
$600,000 - "Frasier" (Lifetime, March 2006)
$600,000 - "Malcolm in the Middle" (FX, Fall 2007)
$550,000 - "The X-Files" (TNT/Sci Fi)
$450,000 - "Sex and the City" (TBS, June 2004)
$425,000 - "Gilmore Girls" (ABC Family, Fall 2004)
$425,000 - "King of Queens" (TBS, Fall 2006)
$400,000 - "Dharma & Greg" (FX/ABC Family, Fall 2005)
$400,000 - "Smallville" (ABC Family, Fall 2004)
$315,000 - "My Wife and Kids" (ABC Family, Fall 2008)
$250,000 - "Angel" (TNT)
$250,000 - "Fear Factor" (FX, August 2004)
$200,000 - "Alias" (TNT, Fall 2005)
$200,000 - "J.A.G." (Hallmark, January 2005)
$200,000 - "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment" (ABC Family, Fall 2004)
$150,000 - "The Steve Harvey Show" (TBS)
$75,000 - "Yes, Dear" (TBS)
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