• USA Today, Sunday, August 16, 2009 10:13 PM

The NFL is spending more and asking sponsors to ramp up their game to make sure that football ad revenue doesn't get lost in the economic downturn. The regular season kickoff is not until Sept. 10, but an ad campaign has begun airing in preseason games.

The NFL is trying to make sure people are back in front of TV sets so that marketers have a reason to advertise. Mark Waller, NFL senior vp, says the networks realize "how important football is for the collective TV universe." The NFL and marketing partners combined will spend about $40 million, up 30% from last year, to promote kickoff.

It's unlikely that CBS will be able to increase Super Bowl prices, but advertisers still are paying a premium for NFL games. Sponsorship rates rose 2%, for ad packages this year. The National Guard, Gillette and restaurant chain IHOP signed up as NFL sponsors for the first time. IHOP will air NFL-themed ads and introduce football-themed menu items.

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