• by Wayne Friedman , October 26, 2018

NBC has dropped “Megyn Kelly Today,” due to her remarks about racism.

NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today” took in some $180 million in national TV advertising sales over the past 12 months, according to Kantar Media. 

NBC News stated Friday: "’Megyn Kelly Today’ is not returning. Next week, the 9 a.m. hour will be hosted by other ‘Today’ co-anchors."

The decision stemmed from Kelly’s Tuesday remarks. On her show, she talked about inappropriate racist Halloween costumes: 

“What is racist? Because truly, you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface at Halloween or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid, that was OK, as long as you were dressing up like a character."

Kelly later apologized.

TV advertising data from iSpot.tv says the show’s biggest brands airing commercials over the last year included: Xarelto, $9.3 million (123 airings); Tide, $5.2 million (257 airings); Neutrogena, $5.0 million (267 airings); Progressive, $5.0 million (180 airings); and Walgreens $4.4 million (159 airings).

Completing the top 10: Downy, $3.6 million (158 airings); Walmart, $3.5 million (159 airings); Citibank, $3.4 million (169 airings); Victoza, $3.4 million (41 airings); and Pampers, $3.1 million (134 airings).

Over the past year, SQAD says the show’s 30-second unit commercial pricing for “Kelly” was at a high November 2017, over $18,000, to a low of around $13,500, and then rising to more than $15,000 in April.

From September 2017 (the show’s debut) to March 2018, “Megyn Kelly Today” averaged 2.46 million Nielsen viewers. In signing  her away from Fox News Channel, Kelly reportedly inked a three-year $69 million multiyear contract with NBC News.