The Pacific (2010): How Much Money Did HBO Lose?

In March 2010 HBO premiered "The Pacific," a lavish 10-part World War 2 miniseries produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. It took over three years to produce and cost HBO more than $215 million, making "The Pacific" the most expensive program ever made for television at the time. The miniseries won critical acclaim but stunned network executives with a viewing audience 70% smaller than its predecessor, "Band of Brothers."

Today on Little Wars TV we explore the making of "The Pacific." Why did it cost so much money to produce? How far over budget did the production go? Why didn't a bigger audience tune in when the show aired? And finally, the $215 million dollar question...did HBO make back their money, much less turn a profit? We'll explore all of those questions and more.

If you're interested in World War 2 generally, or the Pacific theater in particular, "The Pacific" was then (and remains today) must-see television. Every dollar spent on the production can be seen on the screen. It's remarkable that HBO greenlit such a staggering budget in 2010. Adjusted for inflation today, the equivalent 2023 cost approaches $300M for ten episodes. If you want to see what that kind of budget looks like in the hands of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, watch the miniseries for yourself. You won't regret it. But after watching this video, you have to wonder whether HBO executives regretted it....

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