• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, June 24, 2011

Now let me be clear, Dreamworks' Jeffrey Katzenberg started off by saying he is a huge fan of the Super Bowl telecast's advertising. In fact, he said he watches the Big Game exclusively to see the commercials, and gets up to get his "chips and drinks" when the game is on, not the spots.

"I love it," he said during the Cannes Debate moderated by WPP chief Martin Sorrell. "I think it is beyond mesmerizing."

For those people in the European audience who may be less than familiar with the game itself, Katzenberg provided some insight into why he doesn't care for telecast of the sport, asking if anyone new how many minutes of the 3.5 hour telecast actually involve the "ball being in play."

"It's under 15 minutes," Katzenberg noted.

Worst of all, Katzenberg said was underwhelmed by the commercials that aired in this year's game.

"I just don't think it was a great year. It was disappointing. Why is that," he said, seemingly probing the ad industry attendees. Fellow debater, News Corp.'s James Murdoch said it was because of one of the other underlying themes that were being discussed during the session: That the economic turmoil of the last few years, has caused the creative industries – both Hollywood and Madison Avenue – to take fewer risks. And fewer risks, both panelists said, lead to less creativity.