Tom Tolar, president and general manager of WRCB-TV Channel 3.Chattanooga's NBC affiliate, WRCB-TV, has sold out of its local commercial times before, during and after Sunday's Super Bowl, which station manager Tom Tolar said should generate more than 10 times as much revenue as a typical Sunday for the local TV station.
NBC is providing 14 of the 30-second breaks for local advertisements during Sunday's big game, plus an array of other commercial times starting at noon Sunday when the pre-game coverage begins on NBC. Tolar declined to reveal local rates or advertisers, but network sponsors are paying over $5 million for a 30-second spot in prime times during the game.
"The Super Bowl is always the most sought- after television event and we're lucky to have it this year," Tolar said Friday. "We're even luckier that about a week later, we start the Winter Olympics on NBC so we have two big events back-to-back that make this month very special."
And with a busy political year in Tennessee expected to generate more TV campaign ads with open statewide races for both governor and U.S. senator, 2018 is shaping up as the best year in years for Channel 3, Tolar said.
The economy also should help both TV stations and viewers.
According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend an average $81.17 per person Sunday for food, travel and entertainment expenses as an estimated 188.5 million people watch the New England Patriots take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Minneapolis. Total spending is up 8.5 percent over last year.