NBC reportedly set the price for prime 2022 Super Bowl commercial slots at a record-breaking $6 million, according to Variety.
The hefty price tag would land advertisers a 30-second slot, executives told the outlet in a report published Wednesday. Advertisers would also have to match the amount of time bought in NBC’s broadcast of the Beijing Winter Olympics if they wanted to score the first slot in a commercial break or anything in the first quarter of the Super Bowl, Variety reported.
NBC is talking to potential advertisers about a price tag of $6 million for a 30-second #SuperBowl spot, “marking a new high-water mark in pricing for Super Bowl commercials.”https://t.co/tT2oFpxTvN
— Sports Business Journal (@sbjsbd) June 17, 2021
CBS sought $5.5 million for 30-second airtime during Super Bowl LV, according to Forbes. Fox also sought $5.5 million for the same amount of time in 2020, Variety reported. (RELATED: This Super Bowl LV Commercial Might Be The Weirdest Thing You Ever Watch)
The increase in ad pricing comes even as Super Bowl LV drew the smallest audience for the gridiron classic since 2007 with 96.4 million viewers, CNBC reported at the time. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the game against the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9. As the Bucs score increased, the audience numbers declined, according to CNBC.
$6 million is so much money for something as short as 30 seconds, but I guess if roughly 100 million people or more are watching then maybe it is worth it. Still, that’s half a million more than the past two years, so I’d be surprised if NBC lands the price. Not to mention, they might be requiring the same ad slot to be purchased for the Olympics.
That’s a lot to ask for.