NBC-`ER' DEAL SETS TV RECORD.

Byline: Keith Marder Daily News Television Writer

NBC, rejected by ``Seinfeld'' and abandoned by the National Football League, anted up a record price of about $13 million per episode to lock up ``ER,'' the medical drama that is the nation's top-rated television series.

After much public speculation, the show will remain on the network for three more seasons under an agreement with the network to pay an estimated $286 million for a 22-episode season, $858 million for the life of the deal.

That's a major hike in price for the peacock network, which had been paying about $2 million an episode for the show.

And it nearly triples NBC'S commitment made earlier this season to pay the then-record $5.5 million per episode for its other consistent winner, ``Seinfeld.''

NBC wasted no time securing ``ER'' for its 10 p.m. Thursday time period. Contractually, it had an exclusive bargaining position with Warner Bros., the studio that produces the show, beginning Feb. 1 for 30 days. But it resolved the deal even before the clock started in a preemptive strike to avoid being outbid by other suitors.

For such a large deal, the negotiations apparently moved quickly and smoothly.

``At the end of last week, they made us an offer that was a very good first offer,'' said Bob Daly, chairman and co-CEO of Warner Bros. ``A series of meetings took place every day - every four to five hours - and by midday Monday there was a deal. They offered us a very good price, a really terrific price. I would only move the show if NBC was not paying us what I considered a fair price.''

And Daly said he believes the show will go well-beyond this deal.

The renewal of the show, which attracts an average of 32 million viewers a week, was critical to NBC. Less than a month earlier, Jerry Seinfeld, whose show is produced by Castle Rock, a subsidiary of Warner Bros., made his decision to end production of television's most popular sitcom. And earlier this week, CBS snatched the rights to broadcast American Football Conference games out of NBC's 33-year hold.

``No question about it, NBC had to do whatever it could to keep `ER,' '' said Steve Sternberg, senior partner at media buying firm BJK&E. ``If they lost both `Seinfeld' and `ER,' no way were they going to be No. 1 in household ratings next year. Losing just `Seinfeld,' they may still win households.''

The deal grants NBC the right to show each episode twice. Sternberg said he would not be surprised if NBC added an extra 30 seconds or one minute of commercial time to each episode to offset the exorbitant price. NBC reportedly has been charging $500,000-plus range for a 30-second spot on ``ER,'' and that price is expected to rise.

The contract has no contingencies about which actors remain members of the cast. Daly said that George Clooney, who plays Dr. Doug Ross, is still working under the original five-year contract he signed when the show debuted and is under contract for one more season.

The rest of the players have at least two years remaining in their deals.

``They certainly expect us to deliver a quality show,'' Daly said. ``NBC knows all the deals we have with the talent. I don't know whether George will stay or not.''

The re-signing of ``ER'' with NBC was far from a given. Some insiders thought Rupert Murdoch at Fox would throw an even more incredible sum of money at Warner Bros., just as he had bid far more than his nearest competitor to gain the rights to National Football Conference games.

And, all things being equal, CBS would have had a good chance, since its entertainment president ran Warner Bros. when ``ER'' was created. Earlier this week, however, CBS entertainment President Leslie Moonves, said he was confident that ``ER'' would remain at NBC.

The fast-paced drama set in a Chicago hospital emergency room arrived on the airwaves four years ago as a hot commodity and continues to win popularity points, averaging a 44-share in adults 18 to 49, the audience advertisers pay the most to reach.

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Photo, chart

PHOTO (color) NBC, which will be without ``Seinfeld'' and professional football next season, will pay about $13 million an episode to keep ``ER.''

Chart: $13 million an episode