Commercial Success

Super Bowl broadcast gives local companies major league opportunity

The Super Bowl celebrated its 50^th anniversary this year, thus providing a golden opportunity for advertisers to reach millions of consumers. But it wasn’t without a cost. CBS sold 30-second national ads for the big game for as much as $5 million.

That’s way out of reach for most local companies’ budgets, but each year local broadcast affiliates have a handful of ad space available at a fraction of the national rate to air in the local market during the game and pregame special.

Local ads help give local businesses the opportunity to play in the big leagues, said Gulf Coast Bank & Trust President and CEO Guy T. Williams, who has bought local advertising in 10 Super Bowl broadcasts.

- Sponsors -

“We don’t do it every year,” he said. “We pick our shots depending on who is playing and how we feel the mood of the city is.”

Since Super Bowl 50 kicked off about the same time as the Bacchus parade rolled, Williams said he knew New Orleanians’ attention would be split between the game and the superkrewe’s ride. But when native son Peyton Manning punched his ticketed to his fourth NFL world championship game, Williams said he knew the bank had to participate in this year’s broadcast.

“We weren’t going to do it if Denver had not been in the game. If Peyton’s not in it – and with the year the Saints had – we worried that people in New Orleans wouldn’t have a vested interested in the game, really wouldn’t care, and would be out at the parade. The fact that it is Denver and Peyton put us over the edge.”

- Partner Content -

Neither Williams nor local CBS affiliate WWL-TV would say how much local ad rates were for the game, but they are believed to run about $100,000 per 30-second commercial.

“It’s more expensive than any other advertising that we do, but it’s worth it,” he said. “It’s high visibility. There are a lot of people who think this will be Peyton’s last football game, and you want to see it.

“It’s a bit of a Cinderella story. He had all of those neck surgeries that almost ended his career, was benched earlier this year, came back to get them to where they are,” Williams said.

- Sponsors -

Super Bowl Special

Commercials for Super Bowl 50 ran as high as $5 million. Advertising in Super Bowl I in 1967 cost $42,000. Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of Super Bowl national advertising rates.

Super Bowl

50

XLIX

XLVIII

XLVII

XLVI

XLV

XLIV

XLIII

XLII

XLI

XL

XXXIX

XXXVIII

XXXVII

XXXVI

XXXV

XXXIV

XXXIII

XXXII

XXXI

XXX

XXIX

XXVIII

XXVII

XXVI

XXV

XXIV

XXIII

XXII

XXI

XX

XIX

XVIII

XVII

XVI

XV

XIV

XIII

XII

XI

X

IX

VIII

VII

VI

V

IV

III

II

I

Year
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972
1971
1970
1969
1968
1967

Cost
$5 million
$4.5 million
$4.0 million
$3.8 million
$3.5 million
$3.1 million
$2.9 million
$2.8 million
$2.7 million
$2.6 million
$2.4 million
$2.3 million
$2.2 million
$2.1 million
$1.9 million
$2.1 million
$1.9 million
$1.6 million
$1.3 million
$1.2 million
$1.085million
$1.15 million
$900,000
$850,000
$850,000
$800,000
$700,000
$675,000
$645,000
$600,000
$550,000
$525,000
$368,000
$400,000
$324,000
$275,000
$222,000
$185,000
$162,000
$125,000
$110,000
$107,000
$103,000
$88,000
$86,000
$72,000
$78,000
$55,000
$54,000
$42,000

Source: NFL Research