ABC to Lose $60 Million in Ad Revenue After ‘Roseanne’ Cancellation

abc lose revenue roseanne
BURBANK, CA - MARCH 23: Roseanne Barr attends the premiere of ABC's "Roseanne" at Walt Disney Studio Lot on March 23, 2018 in Burbank, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Choices have consequences, and it looks like ABC is about to pay the price for cancelling its hit sitcom “Roseanne.” (RELATED: ‘Roseanne’ Canceled on ABC After Crude Tweets).

Already, conservatives are boycotting the network, citing the double standard of ABC allowing “The View” to remain on air while “Roseanne” was cut due to the star’s loose Twitter thumbs. (RELATED: ‘Roseanne’ Canceled; Why Not ‘The View’?).

But now it looks like ABC is about to suffer big time from a big source of revenue: advertisers.

“Roseanne” was the network’s undeniable hit series. Advertisers lapped up its stellar ratings. But with the show kaput, companies no longer have the kind of audience they wanted in its absence.

The Washington Times reports:

“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.

Principles don’t come cheaply, and ABC’s decision to ax Rosanne after an off-color tweet shows the network is willing to forgo ad revenue in exchange for appeasing the liberal scolds in the media.

That’s, of course, the network’s decision to make. And it’s their money to lose in the end.

What do you think? Is ABC reaping what it sows when it comes to canceling “Roseanne”? Tell us your thoughts below!

Jim E. is a true political insider, with experience working both in Washington and outside in real America. Jim... More about Jim E

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