Super Bowl pitches record ad prices

Last year the crown was "won" by Budweiser, Coca-Cola and Microsoft. But in just over a fortnight the title of "best Super Bowl ad 2015" will be bestowed upon a new batch of cutesy, funny, attention-grabbing commercials. One thing we know already, however, is that the companies hoping to snatch their share of the hype are paying record prices for the pleasure.

Advertisements for this year's American football event, scheduled for February 1st, are selling for $4.4 million to $4.5 million, with about 95 per cent of the spots sold as of last week, according to NBC Universal executive vice-president of marketing and sales Seth Winter.

A single spot costs $4.5 million, while advertisers booking more than one spot will get $100,000 knocked off the price of each. Only eye- wateringly large corporations need apply.

The automotive industry has been the biggest single sector to direct messages at Super Bowl partygoers in each of the past three years. But NBC, part of the broadcasting and cable giant Comcast Corp, says the number of car marketers has fallen this year, while 15 new advertisers are making their Super Bowl ad debuts.