What was Mad Men's reported budget range per episode?

Mad Men’s reported budget was US$2–2.5 million per episode.

That figure describes the show’s typical episode budget, not its pilot. The first episode, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” cost more than US$3 million, partly because it was filmed in New York before regular production moved to Los Angeles. The series’ period setting also demanded detailed costumes, sets, props, and production design.

The budget is easy to confuse with the amount AMC reportedly paid per episode. A 2011 analyst estimate put Lionsgate’s production cost at about US$2.84 million per episode, while AMC’s payment was estimated at US$2.71 million. Those figures concern a later financial estimate, whereas the quiz’s answer refers to the reported production range.

The show’s visual authenticity was a major part of its appeal. Creator Matthew Weiner and his team researched 1960s advertising, offices, homes, clothing, smoking practices, and social customs to make the world of Sterling Cooper feel historically grounded.