It wouldn't surprise if Tim Tebow popped up in a Super Bowl ad Sunday. Not one for a faith-based organization as he did several years ago, but for a proud brand. Knowing how some advertisers try to tap into the zeitgeist, the fascination with Tebow would seem to make him an ideal candidate. And, his success took off early enough in the fall for a brand to plan a spot worthy of the big game. Ah, but Tebow is too polarizing, right? His public displays of his religious beliefs make it too much of a risk for a marketer? It …

Set behind the curtain of a Broadway musical, the NBC drama "Smash" might have done very well on the network 15 years ago. NBC was indomitable then among upscale 18-to-49 year-olds and home to smart, quality programming that might have allowed a show about the making of a Marilyn Monroe musical to find a large audience. After all, a "Must See TV" comedy about wacky Upper West Siders, with loads of inside jokes, did very well in the Upper Midwest. But, so much has changed. Even as NBC is desperate for some ratings ignition, it still envisions its brand as …

If Apple's "1984" spot is credited with demonstrating just how much Super Bowl spots can become cultural icons, an NBCUniversal executive might deserve similar recognition for upending the big game's ad sales process this year. Seth Winter, who heads NBCU sports sales, seems to have taken some of the gentleman's agreements and pre-set pricing out, while introducing a model rooted more in what the market will bear. If that's being a bit generous to Winter - executives at other networks would probably say yes -- he does seem to have pinpointed how much social media can be a huge factor …

Netflix looks to be gaining customers again and college students are putting off homework to watch online streams on laptops at the library. And yet, TV executives ostensibly don't seem worried that new platforms will cost them chunks of viewers. They quickly point to research showing that traditional TV viewing continues to rise even with all the emerging options -- the latest Nielsen figures indeed show that average monthly viewing at home increased about 2%. Yet, switch an "S" with a "K" and there's a sign of leveling off. While linear viewing is growing in the U.S., it has flattened …

There will be a massive publicity blitz behind the return of "Mad Men" over the next two months as the season premiere approaches. Unlike the unavoidable promos for "Smash" on NBC and other pre-launch deluges, this one will be hard to tire of. "Mad Men" has been off the air for so long and devoted fans are eager enough for its return, it may be one time where clutter is welcomed. Season four ended in late 2010 and the two-hour season five premiere comes March 25. So, it was good to hear from Matthew Weiner on Wednesday, even if the …

With his Comedy Central contract up in the middle of next year, would Jon Stewart actually leave his "Daily Show" chair? He certainly won't be joining the "Monday Night Football" booth, blasting away on MSNBC or replacing Ryan Seacrest on "American Idol," but having recently turned 50, might he be tempted by a new challenge?

How long will it be before YouTube finds that advertising alone won't be able to support its heavy investment in establishing a slew of original channels? It could be a while because of Google's philosophy and deep pockets - or should deep pockets come before philosophy? -- allows it enviable flexibility and a long-term approach. With all its recent turmoil, Yahoo hardly has that luxury and when it comes to online video, Yahoo's Ross Levinsohn was pretty clear Monday: ad dollars can't be the tug boat alone. Whether it's through some sort of one-time fee, subscription or one-day pass, top-tier …

If several years ago, TV Everywhere seemed like a cute technology play, offering distributors some extra advertising copy -- watch your favorite programs anywhere, anytime! -- it's now shaping up to be big business for content owners. Networks have an opportunity to stiff arm cable operators into tossing them more in affiliate fees, while a Wall Street analyst suggests there are huge ad dollars awaiting them. What's cool for them is the dough looks to come from just playing with house money.

Subway might be getting more airtime this week than Ryan Seacrest. The restaurant chain just pulled off an impressive triple with comically overt product placements on three successive days. In the process, its branded integration strategists showed remarkable nimbleness by using multiple genres to plug the subs, weaving them into a sportscast (Sunday on CBS), a drama (Monday on CBS) and a reality show (Tuesday on NBC). If the aim of product integration is to be seamless and artfully slide a promotion in the flow of a program, Subway flunked mightily. Pitches for the subs felt about as natural as …

Mitt Romney is beginning to grab more and more endorsements in his quest for the GOP nomination. Are people really swayed by these? There is one endorsement, however, that could actually tip the scales once the Romney-Obama match-up becomes official: Mark Harmon. Republican and Democratic operatives should be making pilgrimages to the "NCIS" star to woo him. New poll data makes it clear.