Pepsi, Vodafone eye last-minute ad slots at Euro final

MUMBAI: Big spending advertisers , such as cola maker PepsiCo and mobile operator Vodafone, are in last-minute negotiations with Neo Sports for being seen during the final of Euro 2012 on Sunday. Typically, sports broadcasters leave some amount of advertising inventory to earn a premium at the last leg of a tournament.

Neo, the official broadcaster of Euro 2012, is said to have increased ad rates-the amount a brand pays to get on air-for the final, said sources in the media buying industry. The ad rates for the tournament ranged from Rs 40,000 to Rs 1 lakh for a 10-second spot, depending on when an advertiser got on board.

The price tag for the final is expected to be on the higher side of Rs 1 lakh. However , the exact amount could not be ascertained by this newspaper.


When contacted by TOI, Vodafone and PepsiCo refused to comment.

Being seen during the Spain versus Italy final will be a strategic move for brands at a time when eyeballs are expected to be maximum for the tournament.

Euro 2012's viewership in India jumped 25% during the group stages over its previous edition in 2008, according to an analysis done by Madison Media, based on data from TAM Media Research, which monitors Indian TV audience behaviour. The football tournament has done well among the young, upwardly mobile crowd.

Neo had earlier roped in new advertisers for the quarterfinal, semifinal and final package post the group stages. The likes of telecom operator Airtel, Coca-Cola , Nokia and Samsung , among others, had put ad dollars on the second half of the tournament.

Football as an advertising platform has been gaining popularity among advertisers but still is a distant second to cricket in India. Industry estimates say while cricket advertising accounts for about Rs 2,000 crore annually, without including big events like the ICC World Cup, noncricket advertising is only a fraction of this, but growing impressively at 30-50 % annually on a smaller base number. The upcoming London Olympics could add more momentum to noncricket revenue for broadcasters in country.