Increasingly, Super Bowl commercials are coming out the week before the big game. Doesn't it hurt the Super Bowl ratings to have all the commercials revealed before they actually air?
—Barbara, via the inbox
You kidding me? If people fail to tune on Sunday, it likely won't have much to do with the resurgence of Ferris Bueller and his eternal day off. And I can prove it ...
Because I have numbers.
First of all, this is not the first year that companies have done this. Remember the Volkswagen ad? With the tiny Darth Vader? Yes you do. That one came out early too. However, last year also saw quite a record: Super Bowl 2011 was crowned, at the time, as the most watched show ever.
Ever. Like, 111 million people ever.
Companies are also pouring more and more money into buying Super Bowl ad spots, something they certainly wouldn't be doing if pre-released commercials were killing ratings. According to Nielsen, the average cost of a 30-second ad during the big game cost more than $2.3 million in 2007. Last year, that number was $3.1 million.
And this year? According to Forbes, Volkswagen is paying $3.5 million for the privilege of 30 seconds of Super Bowl air time. Yes, that is the same car company I mentioned above.
In fact, there's a theory out there that leaking commercials early may help boost Super Bowl ratings. Word gets around about cool commercials, and when they appear on the big day, people want to see them again, and show them to their friends.