£8k-a-second bonanza for X Factor ads

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ITV is already cashing in on the success of this year's show and the controversy surrounding contestants John and Edward by charging an estimated £190,000 for a 30-second advertising slot.

TV industry experts predict this figure could rise to a staggering £250,000 for the final show next month — or £8,000 a second — making them the most expensive advertising slots on television.

Terrible twins: singers John and Edward

Despite Britain being in recession, X Factor looks set to earn £16.5m from commercials, sponsorship deals and phone votes on its final weekend.

With the additional revenue from public voting and its sponsorship deal with phone company TalkTalk, the reality talent show is on course to become the most lucrative event on commercial television since the Rugby World Cup final in 2007.

Jim Marshall, a senior consultant with Starcom, which buys TV advertising for companies, said: "There's no doubt that this is the television event of the year for viewers and advertisers.

"It has become the British version of the American Super Bowl." ITV can only sell a maximum of 24 30-second spots an hour during X Factor.

But its final weekend could garner £15m in advertising as brands such as Nintendo, Argos and music and film companies.

The results show on Sunday attracted an X Factor record of 16.6m viewers.

Although the value of ITV's sponsorship deal with TalkTalk has never been made public, industry sources believe it could earn another £500,000 for the final.

And revenue from the expected two million phone
votes, to be split between judge Simon Cowell, his producers Fremantle, ITV and the phone companies, is expected to contribute another £1m.

Meanwhile, broadcasting regulator Ofcom has received 750 calls about last weekend's X Factor.

A spokesman said 230 were to complain about judge Louis Walsh sticking up his fingers at the audience as they booed John and Edward.

The rest were over the voting procedure which saw Jedward saved and Lucie Jones booted off the show, but the spokesman said they were not currently investigating the complaints.