CBS is ‘virtually sold out’ of ad slots for Super Bowl 58

Still hoping to snap up a Super Bowl ad slot for 2024? You’re probably out of luck.

CBS Sports is “virtually sold out” of ad inventory for the game, according to Bridget Darcey, a spokesperson for parent company Paramount. It’s unusually early for a network to sell out of Super Bowl inventory: In 2022, NBCU said it sold out just 10 days before the game, and CBS said it was on a similar time frame in 2021.

Saw the sign: It started to become apparent even over the summer that Super Bowl 58 would be a hot commodity. By late August, CBS Sports had announced it was 90% sold out of that inventory. John Bogusz, EVP of CBS sports sales at Paramount Advertising, said at the time that the network was “anxious to sell” the rest of its inventory, but that “it’s going to come at a price.”

CBS was looking for anywhere from $6.5 million to $7 million for a 30-second commercial, Variety reported. Some 30-second slots for the last Super Bowl sold for more than $7 million, according to Bloomberg, with Fox ultimately racking up about $600 million in ad revenue for the event, which broke viewership records.

Kids’ corner: The upcoming Super Bowl is getting an alternative broadcast on Nickelodeon geared toward kids and families, marking the first time the game of the year will have an altcast on a network other than the one that holds the rights. (Like CBS, Nickelodeon is also owned by Paramount.)

Advertisers who bought Super Bowl inventory will get access to both feeds. While some marketers are eager about the possibility of new audiences, others we spoke toweren’t quite convinced that altcasts are always a good idea.

Reveal yourselves: Over the summer, Bogusz said there would be a “host” of first-time advertisers in this year’s Super Bowl, plus other brands from across categories including auto, telecom, beer, and tech. He confirmed that Anheuser-Busch would be back, but didn’t name any other brands; some, including Oreo and Coors Light, have since confirmed they’ll show up in the broadcast.

Most other brands are remaining mum for now. PepsiCo’s sports marketing director, Melissa Duhaime, told us in August that Pepsi Zero would have a “heavy presence” at the game, but didn’t share specifics.