NBC is "seeking around" $4.5M for a 30-second spot in Super Bowl XLIX, a "whopping sum that could represent a new record for pricing in the gridiron classic, as well as a 12.5% uptick over prices sought" by Fox for Super Bowl XLVIII, according to sources cited by Brian Steinberg of VARIETY. Sources said that NBC also has been "asking potential Super Bowl sponsors to pay a similar amount for a package of ad inventory in other NBCUniveral-owned sports properties," including EPL matches on NBCSN and sports broadcasts on Telemundo and mun2. Steinberg noted that such an ask is "not uncommon in the world of sports advertising," but ad buyers suggested that the net's initial efforts "might meet with some resistance." One ad-buying exec said, “It’s $9 million to get a Super Bowl spot, which is a lot. They are testing the market. If enough people don’t do it, it’s only June and it’s not broadcast until February. You could adjust your price in October if you need to. It’s all about testing the market and maximizing the revenue.” Another source said that NBC is "in conversations regarding the sale of more than 40 30-second spots in the game." The source also described the sales process as “brisk.” But one ad buyer "believes NBC has sold approximately 20 to 25 of the ad slots in the next Super Bowl, mostly to advertisers who are multiyear buyers of the game and who typically pay rates that are below the market" (VARIETY.com, 5/30).
