The ratings are undeniable. The quality of the games last weekend were unfathomable. Advertisers want to be a part of the NFL Playoffs at any cost, and the rush to buy what little TV inventory remains is proof.
Sportico’s Anthony Crupi reports that CBS and FOX are fetching as much as $2.5 million for thirty-second commercials during the conference championship games.
Who is paying that price? Crupi cites national TV buyers who say that it is sportsbooks and cryptocurrency companies. The networks are welcoming them with rate hikes that aren’t being imposed on advertisers from more traditional sectors and that have a history of buying ad time on NFL games.
The NFL saw a nice spike in television viewership this year. That carried into the playoffs, with last weekend’s divisional rounds putting up huge numbers across the board.
Last week it was reported that NBC was asking for more than $600,000 for a thirty-second ad during the Winter Olympics. If that is the top end, it shows the gap between the NFL and everything else on American television right now. Advertisers clearly trust pro football to deliver audiences that other programming simply cannot.
