The flesh-eating creatures from AMC’s gory “The Walking Dead” have started to eat into football’s pricing power, according to Variety’s annual analysis of primetime TV advertising costs.

Advertisers are willing to pay more for a package of spots across multiple airings of “Dead” than they are for a 30-second spot in a broadcast of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.” The ESPN pigskin showcase was the second most-expensive program for advertisers in last year’s survey, coming in just behind NBC’s ” .” This year it ranks No. 4.

The average cost of a 30-second ad in “Monday Night Football” is an eye-popping $397,898, according to the Variety analysis, which uses estimates collected from as many as six different media-buying firms as well as other sources. No scripted program on broadcast can top it. Yet the cost of a package on “Dead” comes to an average of $413,695. The shift comes as the average price “Dead” can command rises nearly 27%, while “MNF” prices fall nearly 2.5%.

To be sure, the shift also comes after CBS launched its new eight-week “Thursday Night Football,” which prompted some ad buyers earlier this year to wonder if the market for live football might be nearing saturation.

On an apples-to-apples basis, one might not compare a package of ads in a cable drama to a single 30-second ad berth in a sports broadcast. Yet “Dead” is worth including, because it represents an increasingly powerful way for Madison Avenue to reach one of its most elusive targets – young male consumers. And its unit price is as rich as that being paid for some NFL game time.

The figures in Variety’s commercial-price analysis should be taken as directional indicators, not hard figures written in stone. TV ad prices vary wildly from one sponsor to the next, depending upon the relationship a marketer or media-buying agency has with a particular network, or even whether a TV ad buy is part of a larger package that includes digital advertising.

Pore over the data. Mull over the fact that “Sunday Night Football” continues to be TV’s priciest ad buy, or that CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” – the most expensive program for advertisers on broadcast — commands more on in its scheduled Monday night airings (where it moved to make room for “Thursday Night Football”) than it does in its regular post-football Thursday slot. Marvel at the price advertisers seem to be paying for Fox’s flagging reality series “Utopia.” NBC’s “Blacklist,” to no one’s surprise, is among the biggest year-to-year gainers with a 62% spike in prices for its sophomore year.

Variety will post more findings based on its survey in the coming days. To start, here’s a list of the top 25 priciest shows, with year-to-year comparisons, followed by a night-by-night rundown of prices for broadcast programs scheduled to air this season in fall or midseason slots.

TV’S PRICIEST SHOWS:

NBC Sunday Night Football (NBC) 2014: $623,425; 2013: $628,000 (-0.8%)

Thursday Night Football (CBS) 2014: $492,500; 2013: n/a

The Walking Dead* (AMC) Sunday 2014: $413,695; 2013:$326,000 (+26.9%)

Monday Night Football (ESPN) 2014: $397,898; 2013: $408,000 (-2.48%)

The Big Bang Theory (CBS) Monday 2014: $327,885; 2013: n/a

The Big Bang Theory (CBS) Thursday 2014: $322,891; 2013: $317,160 (+1.8%)

The Blacklist (NBC) Monday 2014: $294,586; 2013: $174,943 (+62.7%)

American Idol (Fox) Wednesday: 2014 :$266,333; 2013: $281,600 (-5.4%)

The Voice (NBC) Monday 2014: $262,041; 2013: $259,240 (+1.08%)

The Voice (NBC) Tuesday 2014: $254,485; 2013: $273,714 (-7.02%)

American Idol (Fox)Thursday 2014: $249,566; 2013: $257,926 (-3.24%)

Modern Family (ABC) Wednesday 2014: $226,935; 2013 $249,025 (-8.9%)

State of Affairs (NBC) Monday 2014: $224,060; 2013: n/a

Scandal (ABC) Thursday 2014: $217,423; $2013:186,202 (+16.8%)

The Simpsons (Fox) Sunday 2014: 205,885; 2013: $221,571 (-7.1%)

The Blacklist (NBC) Thursday 2014: $200,166; 2013: n/a

Gotham (Fox) Monday 2014: $192,111; 2013: n/a

Sleepy Hollow (Fox) Monday 2014: $188,232; 2013: $131,933 (+42.7%)

New Girl (Fox) Tuesday 2014: $176,000; 2013: $224,366 (-21.6%)

The Following (Fox) Monday 2014: $168,437; 2013: $264,300 (-36.3%)

2 Broke Girls (CBS) Monday 2014: $166,533; 2013: $175,344 (-5.02%)

How To Get Away With Murder (ABC) Thursday 2014: $164,938; 2013: n/a

Gracepoint (Fox) Thursday 2014: $162,717; 2013: n/a

Family Guy (Fox) Sunday 2014: $160,240; 2013: $196,092 (-22.4%)

Saturday Night Football (ABC) Saturday 2014: $159,916; 2013: $115,000 (+39%)

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) Thursday 2014: $158,411; 2013: $209,542 (-24.4%)

*Price is for a package of ads that run across multiple airings of an episode

BROADCAST SERIES, NIGHT BY NIGHT:

SUNDAY

ABC

America’s Funniest Home Videos: $55,929

Once Upon A Time: $145,582

Galavant (midseason): $72,400

Resurrection: $146,676

American Crime (midseason): $93,475

Revenge: $115,224

CBS

60 Minutes: $97,433

Madam Secretary: $81,515

The Good Wife: $88,867

CSI: $96,747

FOX

Bob’s Burgers: $95,233

The Simpsons: $205,885

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: $150,367

Family Guy: $160,240

Mulaney: $120,579

Weird Loners (midseason): $114,993

NBC

Football Night in America: $90,233

Football Night in America 2: $132,770

NBC Sunday Night Football: $623,425

MONDAY

ABC

Dancing With the Stars: $127,617

The Bachelor (midseason): $115,105

Castle: $148,012

CBS

The Big Bang Theory: $327,885

2 Broke Girls: $166,533

Mom: $148,935

Scorpion: $146,272

NCIS: Los Angeles: $126,533

FOX

Gotham: $192,111

Wayward Pines: $159,992

Sleepy Hollow: $188,232

The Following: $168,437

NBC

The Voice: $262,041

The Blacklist: $284,586

State of Affairs (midseason): $224,060

The Apprentice: $64,900

Aquarius (midseason): $132,500

CW

The Originals: $33,961

Jane The Virgin: $22,803

TUESDAY

ABC

Selfie: $66,704

Manhattan Love Story: $62,370

Fresh Off The Boat (midseason): $67,642

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: $154,374

Marvel’s Agent Carter: $142,758

Forever: $82,815

CBS

NCIS: $143,204

NCIS: New Orleans: $125,382

Person of Interest: $132,738

FOX

Utopia: $145,789

New Girl: $176,280

The Mindy Project: $123,632

Last Man on Earth (midseason): $117,170

NBC

The Voice: $254,485

Marry Me: $117,461

One Big Happy (midseason): $90,000

About A Boy: $109,791

Mission Control (midseason): $145,000

Chicago Fire: $144,177

CW

The Flash: $56,378

Supernatural: $42,598

WEDNESDAY

ABC

The Middle: $131.021

The Goldbergs: $108,069

Modern Family: $226,935

Black-ish: $131,160

Nashville: $104,511

Whispers (midseason): $104,812

CBS

Survivor: $121,638

Criminal Minds: $131,963

Stalker: $113,817

FOX

Hell’s Kitchen: $109,440

American Idol (midseason): $266,333

Red Band Society: $117,232

Empire (midseason): $138,200

NBC

Mysteries of Laura: $84,465

Law & Order: SVU: $92,207

Chicago P.D.: $121,400

CW

Arrow: $49,799

The 100: $27,725

THURSDAY

ABC

Grey’s Anatomy: $159,411

The Taste (midseason): $49,275

Scandal: $217,423

How To Get Away With Murder: $164,938

Secrets & Lies (midseason): $98,000

CBS

NFL Thursday Night Football: $492,500

The Big Bang Theory (post-football): $322,891

The Millers (ost-football): $135,283

Two and A Half Men (post-football): $147,442

The McCarthys (post-football): $120,977

Elementary (post-football): $125,526

FOX

Bones: $124,093

American Idol (midseason): $249,566

Gracepoint: $162,717

Glee (midseason): $125,075

NBC

The Biggest Loser: $88,837

Parks & Recreation (midseason): $110,000

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (midseason): $71,666

Bad Judge: $91,000

A to Z: $91,580

The Blacklist (midseason): $200,166

Parenthood: $96,066

Allegiance (midseason): $122,850

CW

The Vampire Diaries: $71,965

Reign: $29,848

FRIDAY

ABC

Last Man Standing: $68,437

Cristela: $75,607

Shark Tank: $118,229

20/20: $68,420

CBS

The Amazing Race: $74,579

Hawaii Five-0: $69,128

Blue Bloods: $84,850

FOX

Masterchef Junior: $99,296

Utopia: $81,341

Backstrom (midseason): $89,890

NBC

Dateline NBC: $49,200

Grimm: $117,877

Constantine: $84,826

CW

Whose Line Is It Anyway: $26,255

Whose Line Repeat: $26,650

America’s Next Top Model: $26,114

SATURDAY

ABC

Saturday Night College Football: $159,916

Saturday Night Movie: $25,891

CBS

Crimetime Saturday: $22,212

Crimetime Saturday 2: $24,517

48 Hours: $33,163

Fox

Sports: $83,300

Drama Repeats 8 p.m.: $28,473

Drama Repeats 9 p.m.: $28,473

NBC

Encores 8 p.m.: $19,304

Encores 9 p.m.: $19,495

Saturday Night Live Encores: $26,500