Every Minute Counts

The NFL announced that it will allow CBS, NBC and Fox to sell two additional minutes of commercials in games leading up to Super Bowl LV. 

The additional airtime for commercials will not be included in the Super Bowl.

• Super Bowl LV will be televised and streamed by CBS, which received $336 million in ad revenue when it televised the 2019 Super Bowl. CBS is looking for roughly $5.5 million per Super Bowl ad spot this year.
• Last year, Fox set a record for selling 30-second Super Bowl spots at a price of $5.6 million.  

Commercial spots typically run from $1 million in early playoff rounds to $2 million during conference championships, meaning the extra two minutes of ad time will account for millions in new revenue for the networks. 

Broadcast networks, forced to shut down production amid nationwide closures, lost prime-time viewers and revenue as streaming viewership exploded. Growing interest from advertisers ultimately sparked the networks’ push for extra ad inventory. 

“We already had more inventory in the postseason to begin with, but the demand was really strong,” Hans Schroeder, chief operating officer of NFL Media, told The Wall Street Journal. He clarified that the changes will not be permanent. “This is more about the moment we’re in.” 

Along with the NFL, the networks have each agreed to give up one 60-second promotional spot to open the new ad time.