Not So Super
This Sunday is the Super Bowl, the 55th such game. Our KXEL Poll Question of the Week this week has to do with the game and whether you’ll be watching; you can weigh in at kxel.com.
Lots of folks won’t be watching due to the political stances taken by sports leagues and some of their players. And apparently many of the sponsors we typically expect to show up won’t be there either.
The reason the game has been the highest rated television show of the year multiple times is due to the unique commercials that roll out then. But this year, some of the most creative brands–folks like Coke, Budweiser and Pepsi–are on the bench, by their own choice. They say they’ll in part take the money they typically spend and put it toward coronavirus relief and vaccination education.
I don’t doubt that…but I wonder if some of that altruism is really because it’s not such a good investment anymore, to have your brand associated with the NFL. Ratings were down significantly at a time when more and more folks were hunkered down at home due to the pandemic and not attending games or anything else. You’d have expected viewership to go up.
Given all the in-your-face political statements…on helmets, stadiums, even the end lines on the field…folks who used to use pro sports for a relief are turning away. The brand is tarnished, and those advertisers may have found that the benefit of association no longer outweighs the cost. The “donating the money for COVID” line may be true…but also a convenient excuse for those who are looking out for their businesses.
