'Mad Men' & The Beatles: How Much Did Lionsgate Pay For 'Tomorrow Never Knows'?

AMC pays $250,000 for The Beatles.

Many "Mad Men" fans were left with one big question after Sunday night's episode, entitled "Lady Lazarus": How much did AMC shell out to use The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows"?

The answer? According to The Wall Street Journal, Lionsgate, the studio that produces "Mad Men," spent about $250,000 on the deal, making it the most expensive music deal the studio has ever made.

Critics often praise "Mad Men" for its cultural accuracy, and there is perhaps no greater cultural influence of the 1960s than The Beatles. "Mad Men" creator and showrunner Matthew Weiner told The New York Times that he felt the show "lacked a certain authenticity because we never could have an actual master recording of the Beatles performing.”

“Not just someone singing their song or a version of their song, but them, doing a song in the show," Weiner told The Times. "It always felt to me like a flaw. Because they are the band, probably, of the 20th century.”

While covers of Beatles songs are often featured on TV programs, commercials and films -- which only require licensing the publishing rights, not the rights to the master recording -- the band’s own recordings are rarely heard on TV or in films, which makes Lionsgate's deal even more surprising.

The surviving Beatles, along with Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, who are all known to be picky licensors, signed off on the “Mad Men” deal.

Take a look at more photos from "Mad Men" Season 5:

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• Season 5, Episode 1: "A Little Kiss"

  Meredith (Stephanie Drake) and Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks)

• Season 5, Episode 1: "A Little Kiss"

  Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) and Roger Sterling (Jon Slattery)

• Season 5, Episode 1: "A Little Kiss"

  Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss)

• Season 5, Episode 1: "A Little Kiss"

  Megan Draper (Jessica Pare)

• Season 5, Episode 1: "A Little Kiss"

  Megan Draper (Jessica Pare)

• Season 5, Episode 1: "A Little Kiss"

  Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Roger Sterling (John Slattery) and Lane Pryce (Jared Harris)

• Season 5, Episode 1: "A Little Kiss"

  Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Roger Sterling (John Slattery), Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) and Betram Cooper (Robert Morse)

• Season 5, Episode 1: "A Little Kiss"

  Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

• Season 5, Episode 2: Tea Leaves

  Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley)

• Season 5, Episode 2: "Tea Leaves"

  Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley) and Betty Francis (January Jones)

• Season 5, Episode 2: "Tea Leaves"

  Betty Francis (January Jones)

• Season 5, Episode 2: "Tea Leaves"

  Cecilia (Mari Weiss)

• Season 5, Episode 2: "Tea Leaves"

  Michael Ginsberg (Ben Feldman)

• Season 5, Episode 2: "Tea Leaves"

  Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) and Michael Ginsberg (Ben Feldman)

• Season 5, Episode 2: "Tea Leaves"

  Raymond Geiger (John Sloman) and Alice Geiger (Robin Pearson Rose)

• Season 5, Episode 2: "Tea Leaves"

  Betty Francis (January Jones), Joyce Darling (Adria Tennor), and Cecilia (Mari Weiss)

• Season 5, Episode 2: "Tea Leaves"

  Betty Francis (January Jones), and Joyce Darling (Adria Tennor)

• Season 5, Episode 2: "Tea Leaves"

  Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss)

• Season 5, Episode 2: "Tea Leaves"

  Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) and Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Dawn Chambers (Teyonah Parris)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Dawn Chambers (Teyonah Parris)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Dawn Chambers (Teyonah Parris) and Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Greg Harris (Samuel Page), Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) and Gail Holloway (Christine Estabrook)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Greg Harris (Samuel Page), Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) and Gail Holloway (Christine Estabrook)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Gail Holloway (Christine Estabrook)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) and Gail Holloway (Christine Estabrook)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Michael Ginsberg (Ben Feldman)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Jon Hamm (Don Draper) and Michael Ginsberg (Ben Feldman)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Michael Ginsberg (Ben Feldman)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Michael Ginsberg (Ben Feldman)

• Season 5, Episode 3: "Mystery Date"

  Greg Harris (Samuel Page)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), Jenny Gunther (Amanda Bauer)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) and Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Lane Pryce (Jared Harris)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) and Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Roger Sterling (John Slattery), Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) and Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Trudy Campbell (Alison Brie)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Trudy Campbell (Alison Brie)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) and Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Trudy Campbell (Alison Brie)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Cynthia Cosgrove (Laria Oleynik), Trudy Campbell (Alison Brie), Megan Draper (Jessica Pare), Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), and Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) and Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton)

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Cynthia Cosgrove (Laria Oleynik), Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) and Trudy Campbell (Alison Brie).

• Season 5, Episode 4: "Signal 30"

  Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton), Don Draper (Jon Hamm) Cynthia Campbell (Larisa Oleynik), Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) and Trudy Campbell (Alison Brie)

• Season 5, Episode 5: "Far Away Places"

  Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) and Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

• Season 5, Episode 5: "Far Away Places"

  Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) and Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

• Season 5, Episode 5: "Far Away Places"

  Megan Draper (Jessica Pare)

• Season 5, Episode 5: "Far Away Places"

  Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

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