CBS has sold 80% of the Super Bowl’s game inventory and is moving into the summer with a handful of spots left to sell. CBS is reportedly asking a record-high $3.8 million per 30-second spot for the game, which has set U.S. television viewership records for the past three years. However, GM was the first to publicly opt out at that price.
$3.8 million is a 9% increase from last year, when NBC sold the game for $3.5 million per 30-second spot. Just three weeks ago, CBS was saying that the game was 50% sold, so even at the high price, a lot of inventory is still moving.
“The game has moved early,” John Bogusz, CBS Sports EVP/Sales and Marketing, told SportsBusiness Daily. “We’re certainly well ahead of where we were three years ago [the last time CBS carried the game].“
The pace of CBS’s ad sales offers further evidence that the Super Bowl selling season has moved earlier than ever. Three years ago, for example, CBS went into September with a lot of inventory left to sell. But for the past three years, networks had completed the bulk of their ad sales in early summer, just after the upfront selling season.
CBS would not identify advertisers who have bought spots. A-B has a long-term deal for the game that includes around 10 spots. Bogusz said the auto category has been strong despite GM’s decision to not advertise in the game. Bogusz also told SportsBusiness that film studios and beverages were strong categories for the big game this time.
See the SportsBusiness Daily story here
