What is the episodic budget of Top Gear?

Such a great show!

I love the show. I have always wondered how much money they spend on it.

A random internet user seems to think it’s about $60M a year and about $2M an episode: http://forums.finalgear.com/top-gear/top-gear-production-costs-28593/#post734227

I suppose it depends whether its the episode where they drive to the north pole or the one where they test drive budget cars.

The BBC has been very tight lipped on the actual cost.

@Lightlyseared They are very tight-lipped. I’ve seen letters written in asking for the information under the Freedom of Information Act and responses saying they don’t have to give that information out. I would guess since it’s the BBC and it’s funded by tax-payers that they don’t want to get into the hassle of “this show costs this much more than that one”. I’m sure it’s more or less fair given the size of its viewership.

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/top_gear_production_costs

The BBC refuses to release numbers on this show.

How about viewing numbers? How do they compare?

@timtrueman the BBC is funded by the TV Licence It is NOT funded by tax-payers

@RareDenver “The licence fee is classified as a tax” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_United_Kingdom

@timtrueman I stand corrected although in my defence ‘tax-payers’ generally refers to people who pay some form of income tax

It’s only classified as a tax so that they can charge non payers with tax evasion.