Only 14 national ads ran during Saturday's games, compared to an average of 85 for NFL gamesGETTY IMAGES
Game breaks on CBS for the opening weekend of the AAF were "few and far between," which meant there "weren't very many in-game opportunities for advertisers to shill their products," according to Anthony Crupi of AD AGE. Only 14 national ads aired during Saturday night's broadcast -- by way of contrast, the average NFL game "carries a paid spot load of approximately 85 units -- and nearly all of those commercials were featured in split-screen executions." Buyers estimate that each 30-second unit in the CBS broadcast "fetched around $75,000." The standalone spots were "reinforced by call-outs from the broadcast booth and on-screen bugs." Discounting local breaks and in-house promotions for CBS and the AAF's gaming app, full-screen paid ads "appeared in only one pod." MGM Resorts aired three spots in Saturday's games, while the other advertisers were the Navy Federal Credit Union, Buffalo Wild Wings and aviation service Wheels Up. The same advertisers that "bought time in Saturday's broadcast appeared in nearly identical configurations in the two Sunday games," which aired on CBS Sports Network and NFL Network (ADAGE.com, 2/11).
