Fox Sells Out The Super Bowl-30 Second In-Game Ads Fetch $4 Million Per Ad

Fox has sold the last of its available in-game Super Bowl spots, securing an average rate of $4 million per 30 seconds of airtime for the Feb. 2 broadcast.

Media buyers said that latecomers who urgently wanted to break into the NFL’s marquee event invested as much as $4.5 million per :30.

While much of the heavy lifting has been done in advance of the big game, Neil Mulcahy, evp of Fox Sports ad sales, said that there are still plenty of opportunities for marketers to pick up spots in pre- and post-game programming as well as in the network’s digital streaming service.

“The in-game inventory is sold out, but we still have an incredible array of programming available,” Mulcahy said, adding that the day will kick off with a special opening ceremony in New York’s Times Square set to air on Fox Sports 1.

Among the advertisers that have nailed down Super Bowl time are usual suspects Anheuser-Busch InBev, Pepsi, Doritos and Mars. Dannon confirmed that it is returning to the broadcast with a 30-second spot for its Oikos brand, and GoDaddy is in for a pair of somewhat more restrained :30s.

Mulcahy said the automotive category will be as well-represented this year as it has been in recent years, noting that last season’s surprise holdout, General Motors, is back in the saddle for the MetLife Stadium event. While GM has not disclosed the extent of its investment, buyers said the automaker is using the Super Bowl to showcase its Chevrolet marque. It will also resume its longstanding sponsorship of the post-game MVP award, which culminates with the presentation of a new car to the honoree.

Expect a few long-form commercials this time around, as select automakers will roll out 120- and 90-second ads. “I think the autos totally have it figured out. They can measure the immediate impact they can get from their sales figures…and the return on investment is three times what they pay