Commentary

No Oscars? No Problem; Movie Studios Take A Sporting Approach

Movies studios are back big time in this year's Super Bowl. And considering the state of a possible devalued Oscars broadcast, there will be more to come in this sporting vein.

Not only are the big five studios buying multiple spots during the game -- at least 10 thirty-second spots overall -- but for the first time in years, studios will look to bulk up in buying advertising time before the game.

At the Super Bowl, Fox will have a red carpet "pre-game" affair where major movie and TV talent will parade and be interviewed by "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest -- a perfect place for movie studios to add commercials to support the on-air marketing time of their talent.

Entertainment companies have a lot in common with the Super Bowl. The big TV sporting event brings in the kind of wide-ranging audiences movie studios also look for.

While most regular season football games are primarily a male-oriented venue for advertisers, the Super Bowl brings in a large percentage of women TV viewers. That's a perfect time to trot out celebrities.

Movie studios have been restricted from advertising during the Academy Awards for years. Instead, they have depended on their movie stars at the event itself to do the marketing and heavy lifting for movies that are in release --or will be released around the Oscars.

Now with that option possibly gone, studios are reaching for other events to get their message out. Couple that with all the problems movie studios have had in getting talent on late-night shows because of the writers' strike, and you can expect the studios to make a bigger marketing presence felt at the big game -- and then some.

Then add this to the equation: With the possibility of few or no season finales from your favorite TV shows this coming May, movie studios will seek out other second-quarter sports options for marketing. Next up: the NCAA College Basketball Tournament

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