SUPER BOWL SUNDAY SETTING SALES RECORDS
The Super Bowl is the biggest one-day sports event in the nation every year, but for the hometowns of the two teams that make it to the game it is a huge local event. For the local TV stations it’s a major opportunity to connect with fans and advertisers—especially for the one network affiliate in each town lucky enough to air the actual game.
The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers have made it to the big game before, but this is the first time for the Broncos that CBS had the broadcast for O&O KCNC Denver and more than a decade for Raycom’s WBTV Charlotte.
“Colorado loves the Broncos and we feel fortunate to get super-sized ratings every time we air a game. But having our hometown team in Super Bowl 50 is something that’s really special for everyone at KCNC,” said GM Walt DeHaven. You will not be surprised to learn that Super Bowl Sunday, February 7, will be the biggest revenue day in KCNC’s history. KCNC has been airing nightly specials this week and a two-hour Road to the Championship special is scheduled for Saturday. The station has anchors, reporters and a meteorologist providing live reports from across the Bay Area this week.
The Super Bowl local avails were sold out on WBTV even before it was certain the Panthers would be in the game. GM Steve Dempsey says advertisers wanted to make sure they weren’t squeezed out by political spots. He’s expecting an 80+ local market share, so the real value of having the Super Bowl is being able to promote other WBTV programming to the massive local audience—and he says the staff has worked up some great creative to air. “The windfall for us will come beyond the Super Bowl,” he said.
Of course, WBTV has had staffers in San Francisco reporting live this week on game preparations—and he had nothing but praise for CBS O&O KPIX and the network for their assistance in the Super Bowl host market. WBTV has been airing extensive pre-game coverage and a special, Panthers’ Championship Drive, will air tonight in primetime.
KPIX has been planning its Super Bowl coverage since it was announced in May 2013 that the NFL had picked the Bay Area to host Super Bowl 50. The station aired its first local Countdown to Gold special last February, one night following Super Bowl XLIX. KPIX secured legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana (a four-time Super Bowl champion) and his wife Jennifer (who previously had been a KPIX on-air host) as special contributors to the station’s coverage. KPIX had a total of 11 Countdown to Gold specials planned, including 7-8 pm broadcasts on Monday-Saturday this week. “It’s extremely gratifying to see the responses from viewers and advertisers to our ‘Countdown to Gold’ coverage. Our three years of planning is really paying off. And, of course, the best is yet to come,” said KPIX GM Bruno Cohen.
