1. For interview requests and queries:
Bill Daddi
Daddi Brand Communications
212-404-6619
917-620-3717
Bill@DaddiBrand.com
KANTAR MEDIA RELEASES MARCH MADNESS ADVERTISING TRENDS REPORT
ELEASES
Historical Advertising Data Showcases Biggest Spenders,
Ad Revenue and Comparisons Against Other TV Sports Franchises
New York, NY, March 01, 2011 – When the field for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship
is announced on March 13, it will mark the beginning of th three-week event known as “March
the
Madness”. This year’s tournament will be the biggest ever in several notable ways. The number of teams
has been expanded from 65 to 68, creating three additional games. Under a new 14-year, $10.8 billion
year,
TV rights agreement that was negotiated last spring, CBS and Turner Broadcasting are partnering to
show every tournament game live and will spread the telecasts across four national TV networks – CBS,
TBS, TNT and truTV. As in past years, all of the games will be streamed online, providing advertisers
all
with additional opportunities to reach fans and to build integrated, cross platform marketing programs.
cross-platform
An analysis of trend data by Kantar Media shows how the tournament has evolved over t past decade
the
to become one of the largest and most valuable franchises in all of television sports.
TV Ad Revenue
Over the past ten years (2001-2010), national TV advertising during the men’s tournament has translated
2010),
into over $4.8 billion of spending from more than 280 different marketers. Ad revenue in 2010 was $613.8
from
million, up 4.3 percent from the prior year but still below the all time high achieved in 2008.
all-time
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
National TV Ad Spending *: 2001-2010
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
Ad Spend
($ million) 318.2 358.0 379.9 450.6 475.1 500.2 519.6 643.2 588.7 613.8 4,847.4
# of Advtsrs 110 119 90 96 90 102 125 102 81 83 281
* includes Pre-Game, Game & Post-Game Programming
Game
Source: Kantar Media
1 of 4

2. Digital Ad Revenue Is Growing
In 2011, “March Madness On Demand” will again be available as a free online video player that provides
live, on demand streams of all tournament games. The ad-supported webcasts offer presenting sponsors
another platform for getting their commercial messages in front of viewers.
Though growing rapidly from a small base, digital ad revenue is still a fraction of that generated by the
traditional TV broadcasts.
NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship:
Offline vs. Online Ad Revenue
Ad Revenue in Millions
(% Share of Total)
CBS TV CBS Internet
Year Total
Broadcasts Video
2006 $504 $500 $4 (0.8%)
2007 $530 $520 $10 (1.9%)
2008 $666 $643 $23 (3.5%)
2009 $621 $589 $32 (5.2%)
2010 $651 $614 $37 (5.7%)
Sources: TV revenue estimates from Kantar Media; Internet ad revenue estimates from CBS
Online viewership has traditionally been strong during the early rounds of the tournament, driven by the
combination of at-work viewership, multiple games occurring simultaneously and a regional broadcasting
model that prevented fans from watching games not being telecast by the local CBS affiliate. For 2011,
viewers will not be confronted with the latter predicament because all games will be aired nationwide. It
remains to be seen whether this cuts into online viewing.
The #2 Franchise in Post-Season TV Sports
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament has grown into the second most lucrative post-season sports
franchise as measured by national TV ad revenue. It consistently brings in more money than the post-
season playoffs for Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association or college football. Only
the National Football League playoffs, which include the Super Bowl, bring in more ad spending.
2010 Post-Season Sports:
National TV Ad Spend (millions)*
NFL Football (Jan-Feb ‘10) $793.8
NCAA Men's Basketball (Mar-Apr ’10) $613.8
NBA Basketball (Apr-Jun ‘10) $417.7
Major League Baseball (Oct-Nov ‘10) $345.3
College Football Bowls (Dec ’09-Jan ‘10) $318.9
* includes Pre-Game, Game & Post-Game Programming
Source: Kantar Media
2 of 4

3. The Price of Advertising
The price of a TV spot rises during the tournament and peaks with the championship game. The average
cost any individual advertiser pays is strongly affected by how deep into the Tournament their package
extends and the mix of less expensive air time in opening rounds versus pricier spots in later rounds.
In 2010, the average cost of a :30 unit in the championship game was a bit more than $1.2 million. Pricing
has held steady around this mark from 2007 – 2010.
Average :30 Unit Price
NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship Game
(in thousands)
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
$673 $738 $827 $907 $1,030 $1,118 $1,256 $1,242 $1,195 $1,222
Source: Kantar Media
To put this pricing in context, it is comparable to the AFC/NFC pro football championships and the BCS
college football championship. It exceeds the NBA championship series and the MLB World Series.
Average Network TV Ad Pricing For Major Sporting Events: 2010
Avg :30 Rate
(in thousands)
NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Game $1,222
National Football League
Super Bowl $2,974
AFC & NFC Championship Games $1,247
Other Events
College Football BCS Championship Game $1,140
College Football BCS Bowls (Fiesta; Orange; Rose; Sugar) $669
MLB All-Star Game $575
MLB World Series $440
NBA Championship Series $402
Source: Kantar Media
Leading Advertisers
In a typical year, 80 to 100 different marketers purchase TV ad time during the tournament. However, a
small number of advertisers enjoy dominant positions and the top ten spenders consistently account for
over 40 percent of the money. Many of the companies in this upper tier have corporate sponsorship deals
with the NCAA which give them additional opportunities to build marketing programs around the men’s
basketball tournament and other NCAA sports.
3 of 4

4. In 2010, the top ten advertisers spent a total of $249.8 million to pitch their messages at viewers.
2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship:
Top 10 Advertisers
Ad Spend* NCAA
Rank Advertiser (millions) Sponsor
1 General Motors Corp $47.2
2 AT&T Inc $35.0 Yes
3 Coca-Cola Co $25.3 Yes
4 Capital One Financial $24.2 Yes
5 Hewlett-Packard Co $21.8
6 Lowes Cos. Inc $21.1 Yes
7 Southwest Airlines $20.7 Yes
8 Anheuser-Busch InBev $19.6
9 SABmiller PLC $18.1
10 State Farm Mutual Auto Ins $16.7
Total Top 10 $249.7
*Figures reflect national TV only and include all pre-game, game and post-game
programming
Source: Kantar Media
Top Ad Categories
The leading ad categories in the tournament are a reflection of the Top Advertisers list, since many of
those elite companies have sponsorship deals that limit access by their main rivals. The top five
categories in 2010 invested $351.3 million and accounted for more than 57 percent of the total TV ad
revenue.
2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship:
Leading Ad Categories
Ad Spend* % Of Total
Rank Category (millions) Spend Leading Advertisers
1 Automotive $105.8 17.2% GM; Mercedes; Infiniti
Buffalo Wild Wings;
2 Restaurants $70.9 11.6%
Applebees; McDonalds
3 Beverages $61.9 10.1% Budweiser; Miller; Coke
4 Financial Services $61.0 9.9% Capital One; E-Trade
5 Telecom $51.9 8.5% AT&T; DirecTV
Total Top 5 $351.5 57.3%
*Figures reflect national TV only and include all pre-game, game and post-game programming
Source: Kantar Media
About Kantar Media
Established in more than 50 countries, Kantar Media helps clients master the world’s multimedia momentum
through analysis of print, radio, TV, internet, cinema, mobile, social media, and outdoor worldwide. Kantar
Media offers a full range of media insights and audience measurement services through its global business
sectors – Intelligence, Audiences, TGI and Custom. Kantar Media companies also include Compete,
Cymfony and SRDS. Drawing upon the deepest expertise in the industry, Kantar Media tracks more than 3
million brands and delivers insight to more than 22,000 customers worldwide. www.KantarMediaNA.com
4 of 4