Fox Sports is seeking more than $5M "for a 30-second commercial" in its '17 broadcast of Super Bowl LI, a level that would "raise the price tag for ad inventory in what is usually the nation’s most-watched annual TV event into the stratosphere," according to sources cited by Brian Steinberg of VARIETY. A source said that Fox Sports in early talks has sought between $5-5.5M "for a 30-second commercial slot." Another exec "suggested the 21st Century Fox-owned unit has in some cases" sought $5.6M or higher. A source said that the costs would "include the ads appearing in Fox’s live stream of the game." Fox Sports also has "sought to have Super Bowl clients spend a similar amount to run ads across the company’s media portfolio, a tactic that is not uncommon in these kinds of talks." That means a single advertiser could end up paying $10M or more "for the chance to appear in the event." Still, not everyone "pays the same figure," as the cost "fluctuates depending on when the ad airs in the game, how many commercials the advertiser is buying, whether or not a sponsor has a multi-year sponsorship deal in place, and other factors." The Super Bowl in recent years has "proven to be a game-changer" in the world of TV viewership, "breaking records in multiple years for the most-watched TV broadcast of all time" (VARIETY.com, 6/9).
