The AP reports most ad slots for the 2009 Super Bowl that weren’t sold in September still haven’t moved, a change from earlier in the year when NBC announced the air time had been selling faster than usual.
Super Bowl regulars like FedEx Corp., Garmin Ltd., Salesgenie.com and GM are sitting out this year’s football championship, to be held Feb. 1 in Tampa. But NBC says it is negotiating with other potential advertisers for the eight 30-second advertising spots that remain open.
"We’re hearing from a lot of companies," Brian Walker, senior director of communications at NBC Sports in New York told The AP. "This is a time to show strength and confidence in their brands in a challenging economy,"
The story said NBC had a total of around 67 spots for Super Bowl XLIII and has sold about 59, or 88%. In September, NBC said 85% of the 30-second spots had sold for about $3 million each. Typically, 60% of Super Bowl slots sell by then.
Walker said NBC could technically sell ad spots up to the last minute before the event. He declined to say whether NBC is facing pressure from companies to discount rates.
