Corporate Ownership of The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is produced by Fremantle, a subsidiary of FremantleMedia, which is ultimately owned by the French media conglomerate RTL Group. RTL Group is controlled by Bertelsmann, a German private media and education conglomerate headquartered in Gütersloh. Bertelsmann holds the majority voting rights and economic interest in RTL Group, making it the ultimate controlling entity behind the show. For more details on Bertelsmann's structure, see this overview from Forbes.
The show is distributed in the United States by CBS Media Ventures, a division of Paramount Global. CBS broadcasts The Price Is Right and holds the U.S. television rights, while Fremantle handles production and global format licensing. This means the show's content, format, and international adaptations are managed by Fremantle, but the American broadcast window remains under CBS's control.
Key Executives and Production Leadership
Mark Burnett serves as Chairman of MGM Television, a division of Amazon MGM Studios, and has been a key executive producer on The Price Is Right. Amazon MGM Studios operates under Amazon.com, Inc., which acquired MGM Holdings in a deal completed in 2022. The production operations for The Price Is Right are led by Fremantle's U.S. television division, with executive producers overseeing day-to-day filming at Television City in Los Angeles.
Fremantle's CEO is Jennifer Mullin, who reports to the RTL Group leadership. RTL Group's CEO is Thomas H. Bellmann, who sits on the Bertelsmann executive board. The show's host, Drew Carey, is a contracted talent under an agreement with Fremantle and CBS, and his compensation is separate from the corporate ownership structure of the production company and broadcaster.
Financial Scale and Audience Reach
The Price Is Right remains one of the highest-rated daytime television programs in the United States, consistently drawing millions of viewers per episode. The show generates revenue through advertising sales managed by CBS, as well as international format fees paid by broadcasters in dozens of countries that air local versions of the franchise. Fremantle's global distribution arm monetizes the format beyond the U.S. market, contributing to the overall revenue of RTL Group.
Bertelsmann reported consolidated revenues exceeding 18 billion euros in recent fiscal years, with RTL Group being a significant contributor. The Price Is Right franchise is a valuable long-running asset within this portfolio, with the U.S. version alone having aired thousands of episodes since its debut. For the latest financial data on Bertelsmann, see the official Bertelsmann annual report page.