CBS and NBC both passed on Walt's bundled TV-and-theme-park deal. ABC — third-place, desperate for a hit — said yes. ABC invested $500K in equity, guaranteed $4.5M in bank loans, and paid $5M per year for 7 years for a TV show Walt had complete creative control over. Walt's line: 'ABC needed the show so badly they bought the amusement park with it.' It was the largest TV programming contract in history.