Circa Pict. & Prod. Co. Intnl Inc. (fka CPPD)

[dingocub]

ADVERTISING DOLLARS.... Very $$$ Intresting article on OLYMPICS NBC ADVERTISING REVUNUE from 2004.

NBC: We've got
the Olympics covered

Ad inventory is about sold with one day to go

At least one thing seems to be running smoothly for NBC in the run-up to an Olympics plagued by uncertainty.
After weeks of wavering interest on the part of advertisers in the remaining Olympic inventory, NBC over recent days has been able to sell all but the last bit, and it expects that to be sold by tomorrow.
As recently as two weeks ago, NBC still had 10 percent of its ad inventory for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games unsold.

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But with one day to go before the Olympic torch makes its dramatic re-entrance into Athens, the network has sold 98 percent of its ad inventory for a total of nearly $1 billion, up from $900 million in 2000.

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NBC blames the lull in ad sales on advertisers’ concerns that the Greek government would not complete final preparations in time.

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NBC is commanding between $700,000 and $760,000 for a 30-second primetime spot, and it contends it has been able to hold firm on pricing through the final weeks.

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The network has a huge investment to recoup, having already spent a record $793 million for the U.S. rights to the Aug. 13 to 29 Games. That's four times what it generally spends on all other sports combined. It has also spent another $100 million in production costs.
NBC hopes to realize a profit in the range of $50 million.
NBC is reportedly guaranteeing advertisers an average 13.9 household rating in primetime, having learned its lesson the hard way from the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
That year the network guaranteed between a 16 and 17 household rating, but was only able to average a 13.8, leading to huge make-goods for the Games.
Sydney made for the lowest overall Olympic ratings ever.
That was because of the lack of medal winners in U.S. women’s gymnastics, the biggest ratings draw of any of the Summer Games, as well as to the 15- to 18-hour time delay between Sydney and the U.S.
In what is clearly a rebound attempt, NBC will provide unprecedented coverage of this summer’s Games, totaling 1,210 hours across seven ad-supported networks: NBC, USA Network, Bravo, MSNBC, CNBC and Telemundo.
Primetime coverage on the broadcast network will be taped because of the seven-hour time difference between New York and Athens. But as much as a third of cable coverage will air live.
But despite such demonstrated optimism in this year’s Games, an undercurrent of worry has plagued NBC’s coverage plans. In some cases, the network has had to commit to cash refunds to advertisers in the event the Games are interrupted or canceled because of security threats.
Tomorrow’s opening ceremony, airing at 8 p.m., will be overseen by co-hosts Bob Costas, primetime Olympics host, and NBC News’ “Today” co-anchor Katie Couric.
MSNBC unofficially kicked off the Games yesterday, covering a preliminary women’s soccer competition.

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