9. The X Factor USA - $3.5 Million Per Episode
SycoReality shows are liked by studios because normally they are less expensive to produce than scripted television but can still draw big ratings. That was not the case with the US version of The X Factor. Although it was, indeed, a big hit, it was anything but cheap. The show came about as a creation of Simon Cowell who just shot to fame thanks to Pop Idol and was looking for a replacement. Thus came The X Factor. The rules were tweaked a bit but it was pretty much the same shtick. Nevertheless, it was a success in the UK so Cowell took it to America where he also acted as the judge for the series three seasons. During this time, one episode of the show reportedly cost around $3.5 million. The show didnt have actors or lavish sets so most of that money went to the judges. Simon Cowell undoubtedly pocketed a big chunk of the budget but the money was also used in order to entice popular performers such as Britney Spears and Demi Lovato to act as judges. The series ended abruptly when Cowell decided to return as judge to the UK version and the producers felt that the show couldnt draw the same ratings without him playing the role of the mean judge who nobody likes but, apparently, everyone wants to see.