NBC sold out 85% of its Super Bowl XLIII inventory, getting strong prices including a high-water mark of $3 million for its 12 highest-priced spots.
About 10 spots remain unsold for the Feb. 1 telecast, and NBC expects those to fetch more than $3 million each.
The National Football League championship game has total inventory of just over 65 spots, and the sellout rate at this point is typically lower.
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Automotive and movie categories were strong and returning advertisers dominated.
Alhough most segments of media advertising are weak due to the sluggish economy, broadcast-network-TV advertising has remained strong, so the strong Super Bowl business is not unexpected. Advertisers also flock to live sports because viewers tend to watch in real-time.
Fox Broadcasting reportedly averaged $2.7 million when it sold ads for the prior Super Bowl, a figure that blended unit sales above and below that figure.
