Return of the NFL
Can you believe that it is September already? I'm so sad that summer is over, and now Labor Day has passed, and kids are going back to school. As we know, "back to school" took on a new meaning this school year. Many parents have taken on additional jobs as teachers and their regular full-time jobs, as their kids enter virtual learning or some sort of hybrid virtual/in-person learning. Some colleges have remained completely virtual, while others allow students back on campus at a limited capacity and with additional restrictions. Needless to say, it is six months later, and the coronavirus is still a significant factor in our everyday lives. And it has changed our lives for the unforeseeable future.
One sense of normalcy that we have received is that sports are slowly starting to come back. Baseball started a few weeks ago, and that was exciting. Unfortunately, they have had to navigate through their own trials and tribulations with continued outbreaks and canceled or postponed games. This week, an American favorite starts - football. Good ole football. Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays in most households and bars will enjoy some sort of normalcy this fall and winter.
As excited as we are that football is back, we should also be prepared for any possible setbacks. The NFL will have their own challenges as they try to navigate a full schedule during this pandemic. Now, you may ask why this is important. Automakers generally spend millions of dollars advertising during these games, and they rely on these ads to boost sales and awareness, especially during the holiday season. For example, in October of 2019, automakers spent $530.1 million on TV ads alone (overall, not just during football). The lack of live televised sports definitely put a hinder on ad spending for a better part of 2020. As reported by Sports Business Daily back in June, the auto industry spent about $315 million on TV ads, which is about less than half compared to 2019. Hopefully, as virus numbers continue to lessen (as slow as possible), companies will be more confident in spending their ad dollars. And as we know, what goes down must come up, right? August reports show that manufacturers spent $223.5 million on TV ads in July, which is an increase from June, though still less than last year. So there are signs that things could be improving.
If you watch football, you know that there are usually many TV ads from automakers, especially on Sundays. The weekends are when they receive the most exposure.
"If the NFL season moves ahead without hiccups, Krim thinks automakers and other advertisers might start up their spending to take advantage of it.
"But if it gets disrupted," he said, "I think there's a chance they spend significantly less, and they find other places to put it, or they just save the money."
I, along with many others, hope that the football season will go off without a hitch, but that is probably wishful thinking. Hopefully, at most, we only encounter small hiccups along the way and nothing worse than that. For example, Hyundai and Toyota are continuing to place ads during the season and are being cautiously optimistic for the months to come. For them, spot ads are essential for fourth-quarter sales. Nothing is the same as it was last year, but at least things are moving in the right direction – forward.
Anyway, who else is psyched that Sunday Funday is back? Here's to a successful (and safe!) season for all!
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