NFL, Sphere collab on exclusive ads for Super Bowl week

NFL sponsors "got exclusive rights to Sphere ads" during Super Bowl week as result of a "collaborative deal" between the NFL and operators of the venue, according to Schultz & Hiken of AD AGE. The arrangement means that sponsors “have exclusivity in the categories they operate.” For instance, Verizon, the league’s official wireless brand, “got first crack at an ad buy ahead of competitors such as T-Mobile.” The wireless network operator confirmed that it would “have a week-long presence” on the Sphere. A source noted that brands belonging to categories in which the NFL does not have an official sponsor “had the ability to advertise on Sphere during the week of the Super Bowl,” but demand “was strong enough” from sponsors that all Sphere ads next week will be from official NFL partners. Reports have pegged Sphere ads for Super Bowl week as running between $1M to $2M, with prices “rising the closer the buys are to game day” on Feb. 11. By comparison, 30-second Super Bowl ads are going for about $7M (AD AGE, 2/1).