Fox Hispanic Media Exec VP/Advertising Sales Tom Maney said that Fox Deportes "has sold out 80% of its inventory in what will be the first Spanish-language telecast of a Super Bowl in the U.S.," according to Mike Reynolds of MULTICHANNEL NEWS. Maney said that Fox Deportes, which "counts some 21 million subscribers and 6.6 million Hispanic households, had 19 Super Bowl advertisers on its roster," including Anheuser-Busch, Ford, GM, AT&T, Toyota, Viagra, Mars, Allstate and GoDaddy.com. Reynolds noted that "only one NFL official sponsor -- A-B -- is in the game, as many sponsors had already made commitments to the upcoming Winter Olympics and World Cup." Maney said of whether Fox Deportes will sell out the Super Bowl, "We'll certainly come pretty close." Meanwhile, Fox Deportes "hasn’t sold any inventory for its NFL slate next season, comprising Fox’s national preseason games" as well as postseason games (MULTICHANNEL.com, 1/17).
WILD NIGHT IS CALLING: BUSINESS INSIDER's Aaron Taube noted Bud Light over the weekend released six teasers for its Super Bowl ads, "revealing that two of the brand's ads will feature" actors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Don Cheadle and Reggie Watts. A-B last week announced two of the three Bud Light ads "would form a cohesive story called 'Epic Night' and include surprise celebrity cameos." The teasers indicate the ads will "tell several interweaving stories featuring wild nighttime escapades in the vein of the popular 'The Hangover' movies." Schwarzenegger in one teaser is shown "gearing up for an intense game of ping-pong," while another shows Cheadle "in an apartment building hallway with a llama that appears to be his pet" (BUSINESSINSIDER.com, 1/18).
IN THE DRIVERS SEAT: BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK's Eric Chemi offers three reasons why the Super Bowl can "consistently command ever-increasing prices from advertisers." Viewers "don’t change the channel when a commercial break comes on, compared to any other type of programming," and the audience levels for the ads "are actually higher than for the on-field play itself." Super Bowl ads also "have staying power from all the pre-game and post-game discussions about them." Finally, the cost-per-viewer is "still competitive and in-line with normal TV programming" (BUSINESSWEEK.com, 1/20). The MOTLEY FOOL's Katie Spence wrote because of the "sheer number of people that tune in ... Super Bowl ads, if done correctly, increase brand recognition and drive purchase interest" (FOOL.com, 1/19).
