Arby’s Glad to See Jon Stewart Leave

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Arby’s, which has been skewered by Jon Stewart over the years, was the presenting sponsor of Wednesday night’s episode of The Daily Show—the second to last to be hosted by Stewart.

The fast-food chain aired a 60-second spot that started with the words “For Jon, Love Arby’s.” As the song “Thank You For Being A Fan” played, the spot showed a montage of Stewart insults and nauseous-looking faces. Among Stewart’s barbs: “Isn’t there anywhere else we can eat,” “Technically, it’s food” and “It’s like shock and awe for your bowels.”

The spot ended with the words “Not sure why, but we’ll miss you” superimposed on the screen.

Later in the show, Arby’s aired two other spots for its meaty sandwiches.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Viacom is selling spots on Stewart’s Daily Show finale for $230,000. Advertisers also have to buy spots on other Viacom networks to make the deal.

Through July, The Daily Show has generated about $70 million in ad revenue for Comedy Central, according to iSpot.TV.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.