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Oscars Roundup: Ads Mostly Sold Out, Apps To Watch

Ads during ABC's Oscars broadcast on Sunday are priced at the highest levels since 2008: $1.65 million to $1.8 million for a 30-second spot, as compared to the $1.7 million rate five years ago, writes Stuart Elliott. "Demand was the strongest 'in over a decade,' said Debbie Richman, senior vice president for prime-time ABC sales, with commercial time, 'for all intents and purposes,' sold out."

While many companies are rolling out high-level Super-Bowl-quality ads, as Elliott notes, some viewers will be seduced by the new lure of second screens during the broadcast. ABC itself presents a list of apps to check out, with some (like IMDB) acting as supplemental references to answer questions that come up (say, "How many other movies has Ben Affleck directed?"), while others provide alternate viewing, such as the Oscars' official app, which "supports more than a dozen video streams so you can follow along," writes Mary Godfrey.

And in a bit of a buzzkill at Ad Age, Brad Adgate doubts that Oscars host Seth Macfarlane will bring that desirable younger audience in.

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