Super Bowl ad prices fall; still most expensive

The economic slump appears to have taken a toll on Super Bowl ads, pushing the price down for only the second time in the game's history, though they're still the most expensive on television.

While early readings suggest there are better deals this year over last, Pepsi won't advertise its drinks for the first time in 23 seasons, joining FedEx and GM, who dropped out last year. In their absence, newcomers and smaller companies have snatched up slots in advertising's biggest showcase.

TNS Media Intelligence said Monday that a 30-second commercial during next month's Super Bowl on CBS are selling for between $2.5 million and $2.8 million, based on reports from advertisers and media buyers. That's a drop from last year, when ads averaged $3 million on NBC - a record, according to TNS. Prices remained strong last year because the majority of ads are typically bought in the spring, before the deepening of the recession, analysts said.

Final figures for this year will come in after the Super Bowl airs Feb. 7. CBS won't comment specifically about its prices, but company officials said they believe prices will be higher than last year.

"We don't calculate average price because it's not how we manage the business, but we're confident that if we did it would be higher than last year," said CBS spokesman Dana McClintock. "In certain cases, we're getting over $3 million" per spot.

McClintock said it was difficult to peg a lower end of the range of prices because clients who bought ads throughout the football season may get a lower rate.




CBS is keeping a few slots open so it can sell them at higher prices to last-minute buyers, said Bob Horowitz, president of Juma Entertainment and executive producer of television show "Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials."





