Super Bowl Ads Sold Out--Again

Fox says an undisclosed buyer quickly swooped in and picked off a Super Bowl commercial that became available at the last minute.

Fox, which sold out the $3 million spots very early for this year's NFL championship, found itself with one more to sell after Pizza Hut changed its mind about advertising in what is annually the most-viewed event on television.

Fox declined to say which company bought the spot.

On Monday, when news of Pizza Hut's decision broke, insiders indicated that even after the "sold out" sign was hung on the Super Bowl in October, there were several marketers still looking for ad time, and that it was not expected to take long to find a buyer.

In past years, the last spot or two in the Super Bowl have not been sold until just days before the game.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.