Super Bowl advertising nearly sold out - Tampa Bay Business

NBC has sold 85 percent of its advertising inventory for Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, which leaves only about 10 of 67 in-game spots remaining. That leaves a relatively low number left to sell a full five months before the game.

“We see the end zone right now,” said NBC’s head of sports ad sales, Seth Winter.

Winter said that the network already has sold more than a dozen 30-second spots at a record high rate card of $3 million. He expects some of the last spots to sell for more than $3 million as the game gets closer.

“Why would we lower the price for people who have waited?” Winter said.

NBC’s $3 million rate card marks an unprecedented 11 percent increase from the $2.7 million rate card Fox used for this year’s game.

Hurricane Gustav Evacuees Head to Florida

With just about a hour from now at approximately 9:00am EST Gustav will hit the Louisiana Coastline. Hundreds of thousand have evacuated the gulf coast, some headed north and others fled to the neighboring state of Florida. According to the department of transportation the traffic monitors are showing in double amount of traffic on the interstates. The Florida Baptist are offering warm beds and meals to evacuees at the Blue Springs Baptist Conference Center in Marianna, this center will hold up to 180 people. Florida’s Gov. Charlie Crist Aug. 31 declared a State of Emergency in Florida, calling for a proactive response in providing assistance to neighboring Gulf Coast states. Florida is opening shelters in Escambia, Walton and Santa Rosa counties. The Executive Order and Emergency Declaration cover Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Washington, Franklin, Gadsden, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla counties; and for any host county sheltering evacuees.

While Florida is helping out with the evacuees of Gustav Florida officials are also keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Hanna while it continues to sit out in the Atlantic.