No Super Bowl ‘Sold Out’ Sign at CBS

CBS is still talking to advertisers who might be willing to pay to get one of their commercials into the Super Bowl at the last minute.

Spots have sold for more than $5 million for Sunday’s game, up from $4.5 million NBC got for last year’s Patriots-Seahawks nail-biter.

The game has been well sold for months amid a strong scatter market. On CBS’ last earnings call CBS CEO Les Moonves said the company was counting on movie studios to pay top dollar to reach a huge audience and give their films a late boost.

Two weeks ago, CBS’ head of sports sales John Bogusz told B&C a couple of spots remained in his inventory.

Last year, NBC also went deep in to Super Bowl week before saying it was done selling Super Bowl ads. But CBS seems to be taking it to the next level as kickoff approaches.

As insiders note, a game like the Super Bowl is never really sold out. For the right offer, a network can find a way to manage to squeeze an advertiser in by rearranging other advertisers or converting promotional time.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.