NEW YORK (AP) — If you’re expecting to be shocked by all the Super Bowl ads, don’t hold your breath: There won’t be many surprises.
About 20 of the roughly 36 Super Bowl advertisers put their TV commercials online before Sunday’s broadcast. That’s a major shift: It’s up from last year when only a handful of companies released their ads before the game.
Why the flurry of pre-releases? The Super Bowl is advertisers’ biggest stage, with 111 million-plus fans expected to tune in. But after paying an average of $3.5 million for 30 seconds, advertisers are eager to stand out in the crowded field of about 70 Super Bowl commercials. Companies figure what better way to do that than to generate buzz online. But does it pay to show all your cards, err, ads?
