Survivor Micronesia made $96.5 million for CBS, compared to $166.6 million for All-Stars

Between its two all-star seasons, Survivor lost about $70 million in value for CBS, and the 16th season, fans versus favorites, was the third-lowest season in terms of advertising revenue.

Those numbers come in a story where Forbes reports on the departure of CBS reality TV executive Ghen Maynard and the network’s failure to find a reality hit beyond its three stand-by shows. The report cites TNS Media Intelligence numbers and notes that Survivor Micronesia, the 16th season and a partial all-stars season, made $96.5 million for the network in advertisements.

That’s “the third-lowest total since its debut,” according to Forbes. Compared to the 10th season, Survivor All-Stars, that’s significantly less. Forbes calls the 2004 edition “its peak season” and says “the CBS series accounted for $166.6 million in advertising revenue.”

While the show consistently wins its timeslot and ranks in the top 20 shows for the entire year. But while Forbes says it’s a “long-standing hit,” the magazine says the show is “hardly the boost it once was,” and “has little to show for itself in reruns and DVDs.”