Part of the fun in watching the Super Bowl is seeing the new commercials. For many non-hardcore football fans, the commercials are the main attraction, with some of the most recognizable brands in America competing for a the hardiest laugh or the most tears.
This year, NBC has the rights to the Super Bowl and is adding a new twist to the commercial experience. Once the commercial has been aired on television, it will immediately become available for viewing on a Super Bowl-themed Tumblr page, powered by NBC Sports.
The new venture was launched on Wednesday and can be found at NBCSports.com/ads. Prior to Sunday, the website will be hosting a bevy of original content created by NBC, before turning into a hub of Super Bowl activity during the contest. For those watching on computers and tablets, NBC is also providing a link to the Tumblr page so viewers can enjoy the same experience.
“We recognize that Super Bowl TV ads are must-see content for many viewers, and we’re thrilled to connect our digital audience to the spots in a seamless manner immediately after they air on television,” said Rick Cordella, SVP & GM, Digital Media, NBC Sports Group. “Tumblr is a visually-rich, social-friendly platform that is perfect to showcase the Super Bowl TV ads. We are optimistic this experience will be the first step in creating a more robust NBC Sports destination on Tumblr.”
NBC has been at the forefront of broadcasting live NFL games online. While CBS has not incorporated that into their package, and the NFL Network does not give a continuous stream, NBC allows viewers to go onto the site and watch regardless of a subscription. This came in handy for many folks during the Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens Wild Card game this year, when the East Coast was experiencing an ice storm. Many lost TV signal and had to watch online, much like this writer. If you were lucky enough to have a HDMI cable, you could watch on television without a hitch.
The network did something similar to this in 2012, the last time it broadcasted the Super Bowl. NBC presented a page entitled Super Bowl Ad Blitz, notching 1.83 million advertisement views.
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About Matt Verderame
Matt Verderame, 26, is a New Yorker who went to school at the frozen tundra of SUNY Oswego. After graduating, Verderame has worked for Gannett and SB Nation among other ventures.