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.
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.
