HBO may not have spent big on stars like Mel Gibson, but that does not mean that "Rome" was cheap to produce. With a cost that may have reached as high as $110 million for the first season, "Rome" is one of the most expensive series ever created. As Den of Geek pointed out, even "Game of Thrones" began with a budget of only $60 million for Season One.
While interviewed, Kevin McKidd, one of the leads of "Rome," described the beautiful, expertly detailed, and extravagant sets that were created with such a substantial amount of money. He said, "It was the first time anybody had tried this, so we just had to spend the money. And I think they figured out, it seems, ways to do it smarter or for less ... because our show came out of the gate just huge and bawdy and big, and unapologetic."
To help raise the huge funds necessary for such an expensive project, HBO partnered with the BBC. Yet, as reported by The Independent, HBO paid the lion's share of the cost, with a spokesperson admitting the BBC contributed far less than the network.