NBC's New Ad Strategy Could Put Seven-Figure Price Tag On "SNF"

NBC could charge "more than" $1.4M for a 30-second "Prime Pod" ad during "Sunday Night Football" under the net's new advertising model, according to Brian Steinberg of VARIETY. NBCU has "embarked on an aggressive operation to cut back the number of commercials it shows in primetime originals." The company has "proposed shorter breaks with just two ads each, some of them tied more directly to the programs they support." However, in "exchange for giving the ads a better chance of standing out," NBCU "wants significantly more money." One media buyer said that the company is "looking to 'double the cost' of advertising in the new ad breaks." Steinberg notes the potential $1.4M price tag associated with "SNF" comes from the average cost of a 30-second spot costing around $728,000 last season (VARIETY.com, 5/10). "SNF" has been the most-viewed primetime program for the past seven years (THE DAILY).