Are these seven-figure sums that celebrity weeklies pay for exclusive pics justifiable? Are magazines actually turning a profit from these huge payouts? Is the inflation of photo prices only benefiting the celebs?

In a story that could’ve been on the shelf for weeks, the Times‘ Richard Perez-Pena looks at the tabloid industry’s growing tendency to pay huge sums for exclusive photos.

So what are the answers to the questions above?

Yes, yes. And yes. (Asterisk, asterisk. And asterisk.)

• Newsstand sales almost always see a bump when a magazine has exclusive pics, especially of the baby/wedding variety. But that hike usually can’t rationalize, fiscally, a payout of $1 million or more.

• Even at full cover price, every extra copy a magazine sells above its regular total earns less than $2.

• People probably holds the record for the biggest sales boost from exclusive pics, thanks to 2006’s cover of Angelina, Brad, and Shiloh; 800,000 more copies moved than usual. Generally, 300-500,000 more copies, or less than $1 million in additional revenue, can be expected, though web traffic bonuses can be huge.

• Magazines who buy exclusive pics often re-sell the international rights to another publication, off-setting their own costs. That’s what People did with Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony’s baby pics.

[NYT]