Endeavor's success rests heavily on its clients in TV, where syndication fees and extravagant contracts for a handful of writer-producers can make agencies wealthy.
In addition to the syndication fee, Westwood One retains two 30-second advertising spots an hour during the show that it can sell to national advertisers.
If Sorkin can keep it going for a couple of more years, the series will earn him hundreds of millions dollars in syndication fees.
"It's cheaper than a sit-com episode," he says, "but then, we can't repeat and we can't count on syndication fees."
All the auxiliary income, such as DVD sales or syndication fees, goes to ABC.
About 36 percent of total revenue came from subscription sales, with the remainder from syndication fees and other sources.
The arrangement allows them to continue to earn large sums from syndication fees after the shows cease production.
MCA is owed $1.3 million in syndication fees by Grant, according to court papers.
If ratings are favorable and a show goes into full production, the stations get a discount on King World's syndication fee.
BigChampagne generates revenues through a combination of data subscription fees, syndication fees, and consulting fees.
