- Variety reports that CBS has “nearly sold out” of its ad inventory
- As much as 70 percent of the inventory was sold before training camps opened
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Super Bowl LVIII is already exceeding expectations for the NFL, with the game still three months away.
Variety reports that CBS has “virtually sold out” of its ad inventory, which is remarkable considering that ads bring in as much as $7 million for a 30-second spot.
It was previously reported that as much as 70 percent of ad inventory had already been sold before training camps opened, reaffirming the NFL’s status as the most popular American sports league.
Similarly, reports from 2022 claimed that Fox had sold 95 percent of its Super Bowl ad inventory before Week 1 of last season.
Fortunately for advertisers, the Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles brought in 115.1 million viewers.
Patrick Mahomes hoists the Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl LVII against the Eagles
NFL regular-season ratings fell 3 percent from last season, which wasn’t unexpected when “Thursday Night Football” moved from Fox and NFL Network to air exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
The 272 regular season games averaged 16.7 million viewers across television and digital platforms. The league also said that 185 million fans watched games at any point during the 18 weeks.
Despite the dip, it is the third highest average since 2016. Last season the average was 17.1 million.
NBC, Fox and CBS saw an increase in viewership last season. ESPN viewership was down, but tended to be flat or show a slight increase after the Jan. 2 game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. The game was suspended midway through the first quarter when Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest.
According to Nielsen figures, the 15-game “Thursday Night Football” package on Prime Video averaged 9.58 million viewers. Amazon’s first-party viewership measurement showed an average of 11.3 million.
Amazon told advertisers it estimated an average audience of 12.6 million based on Nielsen figures. Amazon signed a three-year agreement with Nielsen to track ratings. It was the first time Nielsen tracked and recorded ratings from a streaming service.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid talks with sportscaster Chris Berman after Super Bowl LVII
The additional numbers from Amazon’s tracking came from the company’s ability to measure viewing behavior on connected TVs and their apps and who might be watching a separate feed on Twitch.
By comparison, the Fox, NFL Network and Prime Video tri-cast “Thursday Night Football” averaged 16.4 million.
However, the figures showed growth in other areas. The number of viewers in the 18 to 34 age group averaged 2.11 million, an increase of 11 percent compared to last season. The average viewer age was 47 years old, which is seven years younger compared to other games.
Even when the games were only available via streaming, “Thursday Night Football” was the most-watched program 13 out of 15 times. One of the times it was defeated was Game 5 of the World Series.