NFL TV partners ad sales increase in 2016 despite lower ratings

The NFL’s TV ratings may have been down this season, but that didn’t stop the networks from making money. Regular season TV ratings fell by 8%, but the networks’ ad sales for 2016 rose 4% from the previous season. Overall, sales in 2016 totaled $3.36 billion as compared to $3.22 billion in 2015.

With a shift of two games from cable to broadcast and regular demand from advertisers even with lower ratings that caused a series of make-good ads in November.

While ratings went down, scripted programming can’t match the ratings that the NFL can pull in and it’s why the networks can still charge and get a premium for ads for the 4:25 p.m. ET and primetime windows. And even in an age of cordcutting, sports can still attract a mass audience that other programming can’t.

As usual, the automakers spent a big chunk of money, over $750 million for in-game spots and that’s up 5% from 2015. Verizon was the single largest sponsor forking over just under $150 million on commercials and that’s up vastly from 62% from 2015’s $92.4 million. Toyota, Geico, Chevrolet and Apple all increased their spending in 2016.

Analysts note that the three Thanksgiving Day games ended up garnering the highest ad prices of the season. Fox charged an average of $1.1 million for each 30-second spot for its late afternoon game while NBC’s asking price for its primetime game was $942,000 and CBS requested $860,000 for each spot.

All this helped to offset the loss of daily fantasy sites which spent a total of $107.2 million last season, but only $3.29 million this season.

Others advertisers which reduced their spending included Ford, Southwest Airlines and Nissan.

But even with some advertisers spending less, the NFL TV partners were able to turn things around and bring some more money into their coffers in the 2016 regular season than in 2015 proving once again that pro football is king when it comes to ratings and in-game advertising.

[Advertising Age]