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| The Open may get new advertisers this year from last, with Andy Roddick. |
CBS has sold about 70 percent of the advertising inventory for the network's broadcasts of the 2003 U.S. Open Tennis Championships and is tracking ahead of its U.S. Open sales pace of a year ago, said Bob Malmgren, a vice president for CBS Sports sales.
At this time last year, the network had sold about half its U.S. Open commercial inventory, Malmgren said.
Aiding CBS' sales effort for the Grand Slam tennis tournament is a tight third-quarter prime-time advertising marketplace. Amid limited availability of such inventory, the U.S. Open could be the recipient of ad dollars that might have gone to prime time instead.
This year's U.S. Open is set for Aug. 25-Sept. 7.
U.S. Open ad deals with several companies in the telecommunications category either are done or are in the works, industry sources said. For example, Nextel Communications is advertising on CBS' broadcasts of the tournament, a Nextel spokesman said.
Nextel was part of the network's coverage of last year's Open. Other returning incumbents include American Express and Lincoln, sources said.
Malmgren declined to identify any advertisers on CBS' 2003 U.S. Open ad roster. One such advertiser is Olympus America, which was not part of the network's coverage of the 2002 Open. An Olympus spokesman confirmed the company's presence this year.
According to Malmgren, CBS anticipates securing 15 percent to 20 percent of its ad revenue for this year's Open from advertisers that were not on the network's U.S. Open broadcasts a year ago. He said CBS expects to surpass last year's U.S. Open ad revenue total by about 15 percent, but he would not quantify the amount.
Industry sources said CBS is in talks with three or four undisclosed import automotive companies. The network is said to be seeking $4 million to $5 million from the category. The network is close to deals with undisclosed companies in the travel-service, eye-care and computer categories, sources said.
