The Associated Press is profiling how covering Britney Spears has become a profitable enterprise for the paparazzi, tabloids, internet, and entertainment television as the troubled pop tart lives a real life soap opera. “Britney is the most bankable celebrity out there right now, and she has been for the past year. She’s the most expensive right now,” said Francois Navarre, founder of the paparazzi agency X17. “For Angelina, for example, you divide by two or even three to get the price.”
“All of us sustained a major ratings spike” when Spears was taken to the hospital two weeks ago, said Charles Lachman, executive producer of Inside Edition. “It happens every time with her.” But industry experts warn that at some point, interest in Spears will fade.