NBC says big game has ad time left

NEW YORK, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- NBC Wednesday gave advertisers a different kind of 2-minute warning, saying it has ad time available for the U.S. ad showcase also known as the Super Bowl.

The remaining two minutes of available airtime for Super Bowl ads would be sold at a discount, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported. Thirty-second ad slots that initially sold for $3 million each were more recently priced at $2.8 million, the newspaper said.

NBC sold many spots before the economy slowed and stands to reap $200 million in ad revenue from Super Bowl XLIII, in which the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals will play for the NFL championship.

Ad revenues for the Super Bowl last year, when Fox televised the game, amounted to $186.3 million.

This year's ads will reflect the changing economic times, Jan Slater, the head of the University of Illinois' Advertising Department said.

The message of some ads will be, "we understand you're hurting, we understand it's a tough time," she said.