Funding
From its 1971 premiere, the series was underwritten by Mobil (which later became Exxon Mobil). After 25 years of support, the series added the funder’s name to its title. ExxonMobil ended its sponsorship in 2004, and the series remained without a corporate sponsor until 2011, when Franklin Templeton Investments signed as a sponsor. The show is currently funded by Viking River Cruises, the Masterpiece Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and by contributions to various PBS stations from, as PBS puts it, “Viewers Like You”.
Read more about this topic: Masterpiece (TV series)