With college basketball getting ready to command the attention of most sports fans, CBS has sold out most of its ad inventory for the NCAA Tournament.
According to AdWeek, CBS has sold out 90% of its ad inventory for the upcoming NCAA Tournament, for “prices that are roughly in line with last year.”
A 30-second ad during the Final Four will cost between $1.3 and $1.4 million dollars. To put that in perspective, a 30-second ad during the NFL’s Conference Championship games, which typically draw ratings more than two times higher than a Final Four telecast, cost “just over $1 million.” 30-second ads during earlier rounds of the tournament will cost approximately $350,000. Both prices are “similar to last year.”
Overall, the “total volume of network sales is expected to be about even with last year at about $430 million.”
CBS has seen flat sales in the beleagured automotic sector and declines in the finanical sector. Despite its woes, General Motors, which opted not to buy ads during the Super Bowl, will return as an advertiser during the NCAA Tournament. GM is in the midst of a multi-year sponsorship deal with the NCAA.
