ViacomCBS is seeking around $5.5 million for 30-second commercial spots in next year’s Super Bowl, roughly in line with commercial prices in the 2020 game, according to people close to the talks.
CBS is also requiring advertisers in the Super Bowl telecast to appear in the game’s online stream, at an additional cost of roughly $200,000, a person familiar with the matter said.
Ad buyers are asking for a way out of their Super Bowl commitments, however, if the coronavirus forces the National Football League to halt the coming season or otherwise not play its championship game, the people close to the talks said.
That is partly because the Super Bowl is so much bigger than anything else on TV, and commands so much more attention, that it would be hard for a TV network to make good on the lost ratings points for advertisers if the game wasn’t played.