GM to skip Super Bowl this year

DETROIT, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- General Motors Corp. has decided not to buy television ads to air during Super Bowl XLIII in February, the struggling U.S. automaker said.

In part, the decision to skip pro football's big game was made because GM will have no major vehicle launch at that time, company spokeswoman Kelly Cusinato said.

The decision also reflects GM's decision to reduce expenses by $10 billion, The Detroit News reported Monday.

GM, the Super Bowl's third-largest advertiser in the past 15 years, has also pulled advertising from this year's prime-time Emmy Awards and the Academy Awards, the report said.

GM said it expects to air commercials during the pre-game and post-game shows, but not during the game itself.

Despite the pullout, NBC is not expected to suffer from the loss. About 85 percent of the time slots available have already been sold. Prices for a 30-second commercial reportedly were selling for $2.7 million this year, the News reported.