What Is a CBS Television Budget Template?
A CBS television budget template is a production budget structured for broadcast network television content delivered to CBS. CBS produces a broad programming slate including procedural dramas, multi-camera comedies, reality and competition series, sports programming, and news content. Each format has its own cost structure, but all CBS productions operate within the financial requirements of a major broadcast network commission.
CBS is a Paramount Global property, which means CBS productions often interface with Paramount Television Studios on the production company side. Understanding the CBS network's production standards, union requirements, and cost reporting expectations is essential for any production company developing content for the network.
CBS Television Budget Categories
Above-the-line for CBS broadcast series includes showrunner and writing staff deals, lead cast series regular contracts, and executive producer and production company fees. Broadcast network ATL deals are typically structured as weekly or per-episode rates over the course of a season order, with options for additional seasons.
Writers room costs on CBS scripted series are a significant below-the-line expense. A full-season CBS drama order typically maintains a writers room of 8 to 12 writers throughout the production period, representing a substantial ongoing labor cost that spans both the development and production phases.
Production crew for CBS dramas operates under IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, and DGA agreements at minimum, with above-scale deals common for department heads on long-running procedurals. Multi-camera comedies operate under a separate set of crew structures, with additional costs for the studio audience, director of photography managing multiple cameras, and additional camera operators.
Recurring standing sets are a significant cost driver for CBS procedural series. Building and maintaining recurring courtroom, police precinct, hospital, or forensics lab sets is a major production design investment in year one, but amortizes across episodes over a long-running series.
Post-production for CBS broadcast delivery includes editorial, color, sound finishing, and technical delivery to CBS broadcast standards. Broadcast delivery requires specific technical formats and quality control steps that differ from streaming deliverables.
CBS Television Budget Ranges
CBS multi-camera comedies typically run $2 million to $4 million per episode. CBS one-hour procedural dramas range from $3 million to $7 million per episode. Premium CBS drama and event programming can reach $8 million to $12 million per episode. Reality and competition formats vary widely based on production requirements.
Budgeting Across a CBS Season Order
CBS typically orders 10, 13, or 22 episodes per season. A full 22-episode broadcast order means production accounting and cost reporting runs continuously for 9 to 11 months. Tracking actuals against the per-episode budget across a long-running broadcast season requires consistent cost reporting discipline. Use Saturation to keep actuals current and flag variance before it compounds across multiple episodes.
Ready to get started? Explore Saturation's film budgeting software to manage actuals alongside this template, or read our guide to creating a film budget for a step-by-step walkthrough. Saturation cardholders also unlock exclusive production perks on software and services used every day on set.
