The network also set a record for advertising revenue for the National Football League championship from pre-game through post-game, with $261 million, said NBC Universal chief executive Jeff Zucker.
“These advertising milestones show the power of the NFL brand and the strength of the Super Bowl as a TV property in this economic climate,” Zucker said. Regular Superbowl advertisers General Motors and FedEx had said their financial situations prevented them from investing in Super Bowl ads this year.
Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, said last week that 12 of the 65 time slots then sold had gone for $3 million each, while the others sold in the “high 2 millions.” The $3 million rate was 11 per cent more than the $2.7 million Fox sought for last year’s game. Fox’s 63 slots had generated a then-record $186.3 million.