THIRD ANNUAL SCREENS ISSUE - MediaPost

UPFRONT
THE REPORT CARD
What to
Expect in
Sports
Giant ratings: This
year’s Super Bowl
was the most watched
telecast ever, in both
18-to-49 rating and
total viewing
SPORTS
WIELDS ITS
REAL-TIME
MAGIC
Despite growing technology
options, fans still love watching
games live BY DAVID GOETZL
Early this year, Northwestern Mutual signed a sprawling NCAA
corporate partnership deal with CBS Sports and Turner running
through 2015. There are a lot of parts, going all the way to the
local level at the NCAA’s 89 championships, though the centerpiece
is the relationship with March Madness.
To use a metaphor from another sport, Northwestern is throwing
deep, hoping to reach busy, upscale males. As CBS and Turner
carry the tournament, Northwestern becomes the presenting sponsor
of the First Four on truTV and attaches its brand to features in
pre-game and halftime coverage. It also will run a lot of spots.
GRADE: A
BREAKDOWN
What’s working: All things
NFL. This year’s Super Bowl
was the most-watched TV
show in history; Sunday games
were the first- and secondmost-watched
programs;
Sunday Night Football led
primetime; and ESPN’s
Monday Night Football drew
the largest audiences on cable
What’s not: NASCAR. While
the sport has regained many
of the viewers it lost in 2010,
including many of the coveted
younger viewers, it’s still not near
its 2007 levels
This upfront season,
look for: From March Madness
to the London Olympics, expect
more events streaming online,
as advertisers look to leverage
technology and social media
Ad spending in 2011:
$10.5 billion, down 0.13%
from 2010
Spring 2012 MEDIA MAGAZINE 17
super bowl photo: paul drinkwater, nbc
ad spending source: nielsen