Super Bowl Ad Rates Fall For The First Time

Fox President of Sales Jon Nesvig denied that the network "was severely chopping ad prices and would lose money" on Super Bowl XXXVI, set for February 3 in New Orleans. Nesvig: "There are no $1.5[M] ads in the Super Bowl. We've got ads (left) in the single digits (out of the 60 spots for the Super Bowl) left in the fourth quarter. It will be another $200[M] Super Bowl day, pretty good considering the dot-coms and financial companies are sitting out." USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke reports Fox' ad price "is averaging just $2[M] per ad, with some fourth-quarter ads going for $1.7[M]. It is the first time the Super Bowl ad rate has fallen" (USA TODAY, 1/23).

ROLL THE DICE: DAILY VARIETY's David Bloom reports MGM, which will release the movie "Rollerball" on February 8, has "cut a deal with the NFL, costing roughly what MGM would have paid for a standard premiere and junket, to weave 'Rollerball' ads, talent and on-air promotions into NFL Films programs that will run on ESPN, Fox and CBS in the days before" Super Bowl XXXVI. The movie stars Chris Klein, LL Cool J and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, who will be seated at the game near stars that Fox is "likely to put on camera." MGM will get game tickets "for some execs, though just how many is still being negotiated" (DAILY VARIETY, 1/23).

SLUMBER PARTY: Sponsorship for this year's Playboy Super Saturday Night, set for February 2, is up 194% over last year. Southern Comfort and CyberCredit will title sponsor this year's event. Additional sponsors include A-B, Sony PlayStation, Don Diego Cigars and Zippo. Playboy will transform St. Elizabeth's Orphanage Museum into Playboy Mansion South for a signature Playboy pajama party-themed evening for its clients. Former NFLer Marcus Allen will co-host the event (Playboy).