NBC Still Has About 10% of Its Time to Sell in Super Bowl
Buyers Expect Sales to Wrap After Weekend Games Determine Match Up
Although demand for ad time in the Super Bowl had cooled somewhat along with the economy, media buyers are predicting activity for the last parcel of inventory should ramp up heavily next week after advertisers learn which teams will make it to the gridiron classic contest.
Of course, the Super Bowl has been better known for the media hype and the commercials surrounding the event than it has for its classic contests. The cranky barfly will tell you that the game is often lopsided, and that ratings often dip significantly the later one gets into the third and fourth quarter. “Match-ups normally aren’t a factor,” said Neal Pilson, a sports-TV consultant who is a former president of CBS Sports. Still, he noted: “It’s somewhat unusual for Super Bowl inventory to be available this late.”