The secret cost behind producing a successful Oscars Awards show

Tatiana Pile
Updated ·1 min read

Last week, the Oscars celebrated 90 years of existence. And it's safe to say this year's award ceremony was truly historic. From Jordan Peele making history as the first Black writer to win Best Original Screenplay to Daniela Vega becoming the first transgender actor to present at the Academy Awards, the 2018 award's show was nothing short of amazing.

While Hollywood's biggest night featured A-list stars in their crowning glory, it's important to note the monetary efforts that went into making the event a success. For one, the swag bags for nominees this year was rumored to be worth up to $100,000. The gift bag included everything from trips to Greece, Zanzibar, Hawaii and Tanzania to jewelry, a genetic testing kit, personal training sessions and gift certificates for cosmetic procedures.

RELATED: Net worths of the Best Actor & Actress in a Leading Role nominees:

If the price of the swag bags alone doesn't stun, WalletHub released its 2018 Oscars Facts report looking at some of the costly efforts that went into making the show a success.

Here are some highlights from the report:

  • $44M: Total cost of Oscars ceremony

  • $10M: Cost of the look for an A-list actress attending the Oscars

  • $2.6M: Cost of a 30-second commercial during the Oscars telecast (48% less than the Super Bowl)

  • $24.7K: Cost of the 16,500-square-foot Oscars red carpet

  • $900: Current value of the 24-karat gold-plated Oscar statuette

  • $130M: L.A.'s annual economic boost from the Oscars

  • $434M: Combined net worths of the actors and actresses nominated for Best Actor & Actress in a Leading Role

Check out more mind-blowing stats on WalletHub.