SNL Kagan: CBS Broke Even Or Lost A Little In Super Bowl XLVII Broadcast

Media-analysis firm SNL Kagan said CBS "likely broke even or lost a little money" on its broadcast of Super Bowl XLVII last Sunday, according to Joe Flint of the L.A. TIMES. The firm notes CBS "took in $240 million in ad revenue from the game and calculated that its production cost and license fees were probably more than that." But Flint noted that calculation might be a "little too simple for something as complex" as the Super Bowl. Kagan seems to be "forgetting that CBS also owns dozens of TV stations -- including outlets in Baltimore and San Francisco -- that had local commercial spots to sell in the game." A CBS spokesperson said that overall the net "took in tens of millions in local advertising." CBS also "sold ads for the Internet coverage of the game, which was basically found money for the network." A CBS spokesperson added that the NFL, including the Super Bowl, was "profitable for the company" (LATIMES.com, 2/7).

NANTZ' NUTTY NIGHT: CBS' Jim Nantz, who called Super Bowl XLVII, reflected on the broadcast and said, "We went from a blowout to a blackout to a shootout. I loved being there just to see it all unfold. I could have done without the middle part of that equation, but that's sports, that's life -- you just never know. Who could have ever predicted something like that?" In California, Michael Lev writes considering how "unexpected that scenario was, and how potentially chaotic, I thought CBS handled it well." CBS Lead NFL Producer Lance Barrow "did his best to keep his team calm." Barrow during the blackout "called Nantz' cell phone -- their only means of communication -- and relayed a brief message: Sit tight; we don't know how long it's going to be." Nantz added, "Like every single other person inside the dome that night, you go through a mental checklist of all the worst-case scenarios. You just don't know" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 2/8).