Monday was Ireland’s first match in the Euro 2016 games, and the Dublin Viddyad crew cheered on our Irish boys in a pub near the office.
As a company that lives and breathes for advertising, we couldn’t help but wonder: how much does it cost to run an ad during a major sports event like the Euros? There had to be thousands if not millions of people across Europe who, like us, dropped everything (i.e. work, responsibility, family, friends, pets) to give their full attention to the games.
To the television networks, the intense viewership that sporting events inspire means a titanic payday. For advertisers, who are trying to reach the millions of eyeballs glued to the TV, events like FIFA and the Super Bowl are worth dropping some serious cash for.
Euro 2016
RTÉ, the leading broadcaster of the Euros in Ireland, charges €122,500 (about 137,000 US dollars) for eight halftime commercial spots. That’s $17,000 per 30-second ad. These spots occur during the matches with the highest viewership, including Monday’s Ireland v Sweden game.
If brands are paying that much money for their halftime slots, they better make each second count. Check out how the cell phone company Three Ireland geared their Euros commercial to the Irish fanbase:
(note the people wearing green shamrock eyeglasses. What could be more Irish than that?)
Three Ireland is the main sponsor of Ireland’s Euros team. For them, the high pricetag must be a small price to pay for so much exposure. When appealing to potential ad buyers, RTÉ promises that the Euros will be “one of the most exciting and most watched events of the summer.”
The Olympics
The Olympics are another chance for networks to reap the benefits of high viewership. For the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, NBC charged $725,000 per 30-second ad slot during prime viewership hours (8-11pm). That’s over $24,000 per second.
With viewers tuning into the Olympics around the clock, advertisers have their chance to make their mark. Check out this popular ad from the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games:
(These aren’t tears, it’s just dusty in here)
Super Bowl
In the US, the Super Bowl is king. Companies stumble over each other like linemen to get the prime TV ad spots. In 2016, a 30-second Super Bowl ad could sell for as much as $5 million dollars. That makes the cost of buying a Euros slot look like pocket change.
The best Super Bowl commercials can be talked about for days and even weeks after the event is over (especially if they feature Kevin Hart).
FIFA World Cup
Like the Olympics, the World Cup grabs the attention of viewers worldwide. During the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the Brazilian TV network Globo earned a total of $600 million from just eight companies who wanted total advertising dominance during the games. The eight companies each paid $75 million for sponsorship of the Cup, which included 451 30-second commercial slots and hundreds of chances to have their names dropped by announcers.
Viewers of the World Cup in Brazil were bombarded by ads for the same eight companies. To keep people from getting bored, the advertisers must’ve scrambled to generate new and interesting content for viewers. Here is one of TV ad gems from 2014, made by World Cup sponsor Coca Cola:
(It’s a bit similar to the Three Ireland commercial for the Euros, don’t you think?)
Though the cost of advertising during major sporting competitions ranges from a few thousand dollars to a few million, it’s clear that companies get what they pay for: huge brand exposure. If you’re a small business like us, one thing’s for sure: advertising during a major sporting event means entering the big leagues.
To create a video ad online in minutes, visit viddyad.com.
Photo source: http://bit.ly/1OrM7Hn