20th February 2024
AdAge: How Super Bowl Overtime Spots Are Sold
When the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chief and San Francisco 49ers went into overtime, those paying attention to the commercials may have wondered: What happens now with the ads?
CBS, which aired the game on Feb. 11, had a contingency in place, having pre-sold Super Bowl LVIII ad units for overtime just in case, according to a source familiar with the matter. While national in-game ads cost advertisers around $7 million per 30-second unit, overtime slots were much less: A 30-second spot in overtime was priced around $4 million, according to sources familiar with negotiations.
Inventory for overtime is purchased by brands in various ways. Some brands negotiated overtime units in advance of the game, while others, such as Discover, bid on the inventory in real time during the fourth quarter, when the possibility of overtime was apparent.
“When working with our clients to plan their overall presence at the Big Game, we know it’s critical to think big picture and beyond the game itself,” said Martin Blich, executive director of sports and live investment for GroupM US. GroupM’s Mindshare is the media agency for Discover and EssenceMediacom is the media agency for Universal Pictures, which also aired two spots in overtime. “With attention for this year’s event at an all-time high, we worked with our brand partners before the game and in real-time during the fourth quarter to land these coveted overtime advertising spots that we know will resonate with viewers and drive action.”