NBC sells out Super Bowl ads for record $206M

TAMPA, Fla. — NBC said on the eve of Sunday's Super Bowl that it has sold the last two of the 69 advertising spots for the game, pushing total ad revenue for the event to a record $206 million.

The network said its total of $261 million in ad revenue for all of Super Bowl day also is a record, calling it an especially impressive feat in the middle of the economy's steep downturn.

The Super Bowl is the premier advertising event with an U.S. audience of 100 million viewers, many of whom watch closely during game breaks for the debut of entertaining, big-budget commercials. The ads have sold for between $2.4 million and $3 million per 30-second slot this year.

"These advertising milestones show the power of the NFL brand and the strength of the Super Bowl as a TV property in this economic climate," said Jeff Zucker, president and CEO of NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co. "The Super Bowl has become one of our country's biggest holidays, a uniquely American day, and advertisers recognized the value in being a part of it."

Thirty-two advertisers in all will showcase their products during Super Bowl coverage.

NBC said the ads featured during the game also will be available for viewing almost immediately after they air at Web sites including NBC.com, Hulu.com and Superbowl.com.

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Comments

[gifu]

The mindless guy taking a picture of the trophy is just too much! What a poignant and cherished photograph to have in your collection! LOL!

[skyshoes]

Corporate suckaz!... Again.

Uh... every other ad was one for an NBC show... Sometimes three in a row. Kind of like Lehman Brothers saying their paper was worth 700 billion, Barkleys pulling out their offer of 40 billion, after seeing their books. Lehman's "true asset value" going for 1.7 billion in bankruptcy. Kids we are using Bernie Madoff''s accounting method here. Filler for the shill.

[myke3000]

Anybody else notice something missing from this year's Superbowl commercials? Not a single one from GM, Chrysler or Ford!!! Wow.

Many from Hyundai, Toyota, Nissan and Acura.

[brooklyncitizen]

Watching american football is excruciating and watching commercials equally so- it's always a puzzle how the combination can be one of the biggest entertainment draws of american tv.

[BOin08]

Keith Olbermann makes the Super Bowl pre-game unwatchable-TV volumns going mute all over America-expect worse rated SB ever

[MyTake]

Well NBC, maybe save some of those profits and write a cheque to your parent corporation, GE. Then they may be able to hire back some of those employee's that they just laid off!

I will bet the Executive Compensation Committee is rubbing their hands with glee just thinking about the size of the NBC corporate BONUS pool right about now.

Did any of the car companies show up this year? If they did, I hope they didn't pay for their ads with tax payer bailout money and I am positive that NBC wrote that disclaimer into the contracts that no bailout money can be used to pay for ads!

The NFL brand is interesting. Athletes bulked up from steroid use, substance abuse suspensions, packing guns and walking into stadiums while looking cool by wearing IPODS and head sets.

[coonce]

Isn't it odd our priorities? We can always find money to give away for our SPORTS; but when it comes to helping others or building up America -- we will fight to the death to keep our dollars.

[lwaldmann]

Most people I know watch the Super Bowl for the ads. I can remember the ads from three years ago but can't tell you who played or won. This is a fenom, that I believe is happening in your country too. People rushing to the TV, between the stopages in play. The game of football is not the things, the commentary on societal adventure is.

Lary Waldman

[SnapShots]

And this, America, is one of our biggest value flaws. We throw so much focus and adulation at something so meaningless, while wrapping it in commercial hype, and we consider this news.

"The Super Bowl has become one of our country's biggest holidays, a uniquely American day, and advertisers recognized the value in being a part of it."

HOLIDAY? SuperBowl is a HOLIDAY? Holiday, having the root 'holy?' Bwaahaaahaaaa!

Mr. Zucker, while you define the NFL's "brand" and the Superbowl as a "T.V. property," what work are you doing to create 'properties' and 'brands' that will educate America and teach the ignorant throngs some values that really matter?

[Indie2008]

Go ahead, spend all the company's money on Super Bowl Ads, you can always get a bailout later!

[MBryant]

In the face of hte huge numbers assoicated with the government deficit, campaign costs, the financial crises losse, executive pay, etc.. $206 million just doesn't seem like that much. Couldn't most of those CEOs - and several baseball players and A-list actors just buy out the Super Bowl and run whatever they want - maybe their wedding video or baby pictures?