Unexpected Additional Revenue from the First Overtime in Super Bowl History

The 51st Super Bowl, the championship game of the NFL (National Football League), was held on February 5th at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The New England Patriots faced off against the Atlanta Falcons. It became a historic game, featuring the first overtime in its 51-year history and a dramatic comeback.

The average viewership was 111.3 million, with a 45.3% rating. Although it fell short of the 2015 record of 114.4 million viewers—the most-watched TV program ever—due to 15 million viewers tuning out after halftime following a 28-3 lead, the Super Bowl remains the year's most-watched program by a wide margin.

This year's broadcast was handled by FOX. According to Ad Age, FOX earned unexpected additional advertising revenue thanks to this historic first-ever overtime.

In addition to generating over $400 million (approximately ¥45 billion) in a single night, FOX earned an extra $16 to $20 million from four additional spots aired between the coin toss and kickoff during overtime.

"The overtime made it an incredible day, the highest-grossing in FOX history," said Bruce Lefkowitz, FOX Network Group's executive vice president of advertising sales.

Intel featured Tom Brady in its commercial

McGarry Bowen, part of the Dentsu Group, created Intel's 30-second spot. It aired between the first and second quarters. This marked Intel's return to the Super Bowl after a seven-year hiatus since its much-discussed 2010 "Lunchroom" commercial.

The buzzworthy piece, featuring Patriots superstar Tom Brady, used Intel's 360-degree replay technology to show his life from multiple angles. This technology was also used during FOX's live broadcast of the game.

Steve Fund, Intel's Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, stated:
"Intel wants viewers to directly experience the technology that made this incredible experience possible during the game. We're not just advertising because it's the largest audience. The goal is for people to understand the brand story and promise this technology represents."

The company is currently rebranding to highlight its innovative initiatives to consumers.

Intel's technology powered Lady Gaga's high-tech performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards, which left audiences in awe.

Last year, swimmer Michael Phelps served as Intel's advertising character.
He promoted "the latest processor that's as fast as me."

Mr. Fund stated that Intel will feature more athletes in its future marketing, saying, "Aligning Intel with sports and athletes is a great way to embody and express our thinking about performance."

In the game, Brady became the key player in his team's dramatic comeback victory and was named MVP. The commercial played out exactly as planned.

 

Source: Ad Age
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