THE X Factorfinal is fast becoming the Superbowl of British television, with advertisers likely to pay more than £200,000 for a 30-second spot when it takes place over the weekend of December 11th and 12th.
The proximity of the ITV talent show to Christmas, the increasing publicity around its pop-star hopefuls and a lack of live mass-event advertising opportunities have all combined to make the programme special, according to media buyers.
Phil Hall, head of television at media agency Mediacom, said of the two-hour shows planned for the final: “In terms of money, these will be ITV’s most profitable four hours in the course of the year. Advertisers will put specific types of copy that’s relevant in order to get in there. It is the closest thing we’ve got to the Superbowl.”
Another media buyer, who asked not to be named, said: "The World Cup will actually get you a slightly bigger audience, but in terms of families all sitting around together glued to TV – the advertiser's dream – The X Factoris probably better . . . and unlike the World Cup, it happens every year."
That person and an ITV executive calculated that the value of 30-second spots would, like the audience ratings, be about 10 per cent up on last year, when the first advertisement of the first commercial break sold for just over £200,000.
Takings from The X Factorwill contribute to what rivals say will be an ITV success story in December's ad market, with an increase of 10 per cent over the 2009 Christmas season.
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