CBS boss sets new target for Super Bowl ads: $4 million a pop

If you thought this year’s Super Bowl ads were expensive at $3.5 million for a 30-second pop, wait until next year.

CBS chief Les Moonves told investors in a conference call that his sales team will set an all-time unit cost record in 2013 – “a potential $4 million per spot”. Super Bowl XLVII, will be played in New Orleans on Feb. 3, 2013 and CBS will be the broadcaster.

NBC were pleased with themselves getting $3.5 million for 30 seconds time in this year’s game – a 17 percent increase over Fox’s $3 million in 2010.

Adweek says, “While there’s nothing binding about a forward-looking statement, Moonves’ remark almost certainly will establish a target rate for CBS president of network ad sales JoAnn Ross.”

Fox is actually leading CBS in the important adults 18-49 demo, says Adweek, averaging a 3.3 rating to CBS’s 3.2 But CBS is winning the battle for total viewers, averaging 12.2 million through the first 21 weeks of the season. Fox is second with 9.02 million.