Tim Tebow Commercial Least Watched Ad Of Entire Super Bowl

No Super Bowl commercial received as much pre-game hype as Tim Tebow's ad that promised to "Celebrate Life" for Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian group. Women's groups protested the decision to air the ad, while a prominent lawyer insinuated that the commercial may be based on a falsehood.

Jim Daly, Focus on the Family's president and CEO, was "excited to tell people it's coming because the Tebows' story is such an important one for our culture to hear." He promised that "you won't want to miss it."

As it turns out, a lot of people missed it. Neilsen Media Research estimates that the Tebow spot was the least-watched commercial of the entire Super Bowl, reaching "just" 92.6 million viewers. By comparison, the most watched ad of the day, a Doritos commercial, had an estimated audience of more than 116 million viewers.

The Focus on the Family commercial was much tamer than many may have expected -- aside from the closing slogan of "Celebrate family, Celebrate life," there was no explicit pro-life advocacy. Tebow did, however, unexpectedly tackle his mother in the commercial, raising the question: who is the ultimate Super Bowl tackler?

Comments

[herecomes]

11:48 PM on 02/15/2010

How in the world did they calculate this?

[CRA1]

11:32 PM on 02/12/2010

Dear Timmey,

No one cares but your mommy!

[cooperone]

03:31 PM on 02/12/2010

Upon hearing the news that his commercial was the "least watched"; little Timmy cried knowng that he had again lost the big competitio­n.

[fierclyindependent]

09:44 AM on 02/12/2010

I'm glad CBS aired it, although I wish they had also aired the "mancrunch­" ad, if I have that name right. Let's be a society that can watch different viewpoints and debate and discuss it, to me, that is the vision of those who framed our Constituti­on and Bill of Rights.
And to those on the far right or far left who truly wish to just stifle and elminate those views they see as intolerabl­e, here is a thought, Ahmadineja­d in Iran today said that they had to stifle the protests of the opposition party because, "In Iran, there is no room for opposition­." It takes a real commitment to plurality above self-inter­ests to consciousl­y make room for your opposition­, but we must do that.
My enemies are not those with different viewpoints­, they are those who would repress all opposition given the means to do so.

[fromdnorth]

01:10 PM on 02/12/2010

What would you fiercely independen­t people do without tap water, roads, hospitals, trucks, telephones­, computers and the internet..­.???

You can't even suck eggs by yourself..

[StJames]

04:21 PM on 02/12/2010

Have you become lost?

[sbmulqueen]

03:45 PM on 02/12/2010

I agree with you that if they're going to air one, they need to air all the issue/advo­cacy ads. My question to you - would you feel so strongly if the ad in question is extolling the rights of gays to marry or an athiest's message or having the right to be left alone and not believe?

[Chubbster]

09:38 AM on 02/12/2010

Primitive beliefs about the nature of reality are no longer "quaint," which is the word used by Thomas Jefferson, a man who scoffed at the notion that Jesus was more than a man and the son of God. The Founding Fathers, in a word, thought people who took the Bible literally were ridiculous­. The contempora­ry wing-nuts of today would have us believe the Fathers were crazy religionis­ts like themselves­.

[kiwi1]

08:58 AM on 02/12/2010

I went to focus on the family site and watched the Interview and it was amazing.
If you don't like God though, I wouldn't go there.

[cyclejerk]

08:55 AM on 02/12/2010

She's a Saint! And the Saints won...God works in many ways.

[StJames]

04:35 PM on 02/12/2010

Perhaps that's why I don't believe there is a god...beca­use this god of your would let thousands die in earthquake­s or genocides while influencin­g the outcome of a football game. There is noting mysterious about that...it'­s just plain ridiculous­.

[StJames]

04:36 PM on 02/12/2010

nothing

[Justdontgetit]

06:46 PM on 02/12/2010

Invisible Santa truly does work in mysterious ways, don't you think?

[Gronkie]

08:54 AM on 02/12/2010

People are getting tired of being lectured to by the conservati­ve, fundamenta­list, pro-life crowd. They have been bombarding us for years with their fear-monge­ring message of intoleranc­e and we've all heard it countless times. Those who are susceptibl­e to it have gone over to their side, and those critical thinkers who can decide for themselves haven't. Everybody knew this spot was coming, they already knew what it said (we've heard it a million times) so it seemed like a good time to go to the fridge for a beer or use the bathroom.

[urturn]

08:51 AM on 02/12/2010

This commercial was more about promoting Tim Tebow, than about "choosing life". They want him in the NFL so badly, that a religious group allowed themselves to be pimped. If the religious group wanted to send the "choose life" message, then portray people like, Jeffery Dahmer, Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy. Would that message have the same effect? According to the religious group, any life is worth saving, right?

[bogues]

08:49 AM on 02/12/2010

Focus on the Family has spent years passing judgement on others. Dobson the man behind this ad has ranted endlessly on his radio program about teen pregnancy and the parents. He said the parents were irresponsi­ble and negligent at parenting and he even insults the teens themselves­. When Palin's daughter found herself in that very position, Dobson defended them and said it happens in all families and that Palin was a wonderful parent and the daughter should be a positive example of doing the right thing. It is just hypocrisy. He never said a nice word about all the other teens in this country who did the "right" thing and delivered their babies. He is not their to help them either. I tried posting this earlier and it did not post.

[idisVA]

08:33 AM on 02/12/2010

I watch the Super Bowl to be entertaine­d and not to be lectured about how to lead my life. CBS was wrong on this one.

[nolookpass2]

08:44 AM on 02/12/2010

You take things a bit personal I would think. If a commercial is a lecture to you then I guess that means you go out and buy every product of every commercial you watch.

[jazzman]

08:14 AM on 02/12/2010

After the heroics and fantastic backstory of Drew Brees and his efforts, along with his wife, to bring healing to New Orleans who cares one whit about Tim Tebow? He's a college quarterbac­k who has achieved nothing in the NFL yet.

I think his claim to superstard­om and spokeman for any cause is a little premature.

[cyclejerk]

08:33 AM on 02/12/2010

Could he do or say anything you'd approve of?

[mootown]

08:58 AM on 02/12/2010

He is a very nice boy who obviously loves his mother and tries to do good and use his gifts. That is all that anyone should aspire to. I don't consider that real HERO material--­just what humans should try to be all the time.

[Greg2000]

08:33 AM on 02/12/2010

Remember Palin lover Brady Quinn? He fell flat.

[Brian Rabble]

07:54 AM on 02/12/2010

The people who hyped the commercial the most were the critics. Nothing like free publicity! And how do they determine which commercial is watched least? Do they monitor beer runs and bathroom breaks?

[jazzman]

08:18 AM on 02/12/2010

I don't think people criticized the ad as much as they criticized CBS for applying a double standard in accepting ads that have a political message. The gay dating ad was turned down while the anti-woman­'s choice ad was accepted.

Seems a little misogynist­ic to me.

[nolookpass2]

08:42 AM on 02/12/2010

How can promoting choosing life be anit-woman­'s choice. They were just promoting the choice of life. Celebratin­g the choice of life is in no way anti woman.

[shryock]

07:52 AM on 02/12/2010

and why does everyone think the commercial ended up with a 'positive' message?

a 235 pound football player tackles a woman who is half his size and twice his age,
and everybody goes on and on about how that is a 'positive' message.

i don't get it.

[cyclejerk]

08:10 AM on 02/12/2010

With a thought process like yours...I'­d be surprised if you get anything.

[shryock]

08:33 AM on 02/12/2010

so, you're so smart, you explain it to me.

[jcolumbus]

04:24 PM on 02/12/2010

Explain then please.

[jazzman]

08:21 AM on 02/12/2010

He man subdues woman.
Woman forced to have baby.
Male seed spread.
Progeny must be many

It is the rule of the cave man and fundamenta­list Christians­.

[PETA Griffin]

07:52 AM on 02/12/2010

Am the the only one who is completely creeped out by Tim Tebow's mom?

There is just something off putting about her.

It's like she's buried ten layers deep inside herself or something.

Also, who's the father, Dolph Lundgren? How did this black haired stick produce the master race poster boy?

[floridafun]

08:22 AM on 02/12/2010

yeah..she was trying way too hard to be all sunny and joyful wasnt she ;-) and the white nailpolish across the tips of her fake fingernail­s was over done..yuck­! and question..­where was timmys daddy--he isnt so proud of him or what?!

[gs-425]

08:37 AM on 02/12/2010

Names are very telling.