NBC Thanksgiving

Wild Turkey: NBC Eyeing Nearly $1M For Spots In Thanksgiving Night NFL Game

Published April 25, 2012

NBC Sports Group Exec VP/Sales Marketing Seth Winter indicated that the network will attempt to get “'pretty close to seven figures’ for a 30-second spot” during its Patriots-Jets Thanksgiving night game, according to Brian Steinberg of AD AGE. NBC last fall charged an average of $512,367 for a 30-second spot during “SNF,” the "most expensive program for advertisers.” However, at almost seven figures, the cost would nearly double for the Thanksgiving game. NBC is “trying to make the most” out of the game, which had only previously been available on the NFL Network. Winter: “It’s a different animal. We are looking at it as a unique entity within the broader NFL package.” Steinberg reported NBC’s pitch is the net "believes that families will be sitting at home after dinner, seeking out original content and potentially delivering huge ratings." The game also "leads into the biggest season for retail and holiday purchases, starting with Black Friday the following morning and Cyber Monday after the weekend, so it could be opportune for a broader swath of marketers that typically advertise in football.” One media-buying exec said that the asking price “would be in line” with what NBC has sought in the past for the NFL’s season-opening Thursday night kickoff games. Nielsen data shows that those broadcasts “attracted around 27 million viewers in its last two airings.” The two traditional Thanksgiving games on CBS and Fox “bring in around 30 million viewers each” (ADAGE.com, 4/24).