Car manufacturer General Motors will not advertise during television coverage of the 2013 Super Bowl due to price increases put in place by the game’s broadcast rights-holder the CBS network.
GM ran four adverts during NBC’s coverage of this year’s NFL showpiece game, with each 30-second slot costing around $3.5 million (€2.67 million). CBS is reportedly seeking $4 million per spot for next year’s game.
“We understand the reach the Super Bowl provides, but with the significant increase in price we simply can’t justify the expense,” GM vice-president and global chief marketing officer, Joel Ewanick, said.
GM spent $1.1 billion on US advertising last year, according to research company Kantar Media. In the period 2002 to 2011, GM ranked as the third-largest advertiser during the Super Bowl – behind brewer Anheuser-Busch and soft drinks manufacturer PepsiCo – spending a total of $82.8 million. It spent another $21 million on this year’s game.
The 2013 Super Bowl is set to be played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.