CBS Sells Out Super Bowl Ads
The network outpaces last year's sales for the big game.
By ERIN MCCARTHY
Updated 6:45 PM EDT, Mon, Feb 1, 2010
CBS has sold out all of its advertisements for Sunday’s Super Bowl, despite controversy surrounding anti-abortion ads and gay dating sites, Reuters reported Monday. The network will be airing some of the most expensive 30-second spots on television this Sunday.
A tough economy didn’t stop advertisers like Budweiser from paying for their ads to air in one of the biggest sporting events of the year -- some 30-second spots in this year’s National Football League championship game sold for nearly $3 million.
The recession did affect advertisers for last year's Super Bowl, with buyers like FedEx Corp. choosing not to buy spots. But this year, the most expensive ads have outpriced last year's highest rates -- despite the flailing economy.
The network will still be airing an ad sponsored by conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, which features Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and which some U.S. women’s groups say has an anti-abortion message.
The network said it is a first step in its shift toward more advocacy ads. But after accepting the Tebow ad, the network did reject a spot promoting the gay dating site Mancrunch.com that showed two men kissing. A network statement said that the company’s “Standards and Practices department decided not to accept this particular spot.”
Super Bowl mainstays Budweiser and Bud Light are among the companies running ads in this year's game.
First Published: Feb 1, 2010 6:33 PM EDT
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