NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
A 30-second spot on this year's Super Bowl will go for nearly $2.3 million, a record price for commercial time during the game, according to a published report.
The trade publication Advertising Age said the $2.25 million advertisers will pay on average for a half-minute spot during the game represents a 7 percent increase from last year's average of $2.1 million.
The game is scheduled to air Feb. 1 on CBS. Last year the game was carried by ABC, a unit of Walt Disney Co. (DIS: Research, Estimates)
Officials with CBS, a unit of Viacom (VIA.B: Research, Estimates), did not comment for the Ad Age story, which quoted media buyers. CBS officials were not immediately available for comment to CNN/Money.
The report said CBS has sold 54 spots so far, with eight remaining scattered throughout the game. Those spots will likely go for less than the average price, according to Ad Age, with a fourth-quarter spot going for as "little" as $1.8 million.
Advertisers this year include Anheuser-Busch Cos. (BUD: Research, Estimates), General Motors Corp. (GM: Research, Estimates), snack and soft drink maker PepsiCo (PEP: Research, Estimates) and consumer products maker Procter & Gamble (PG: Research, Estimates), one of the nation's biggest advertisers, which is buying its first Super Bowl spot for its Charmin toilet paper brand.
Internet service provider America Online is the half-time show sponsor for the first time. AOL, like CNN/Money, is a unit of Time Warner Inc. (TWX: Research, Estimates)
Even with the high price, the spots are considered good value, according to media buyers quoted by Ad Age, due to the large viewership and the greater attention given to the commercials during the game than to most ads on typical programs.
The buyers are projecting 90 million viewers for the game, up from 88 million a year ago, when advertisers paid an average of $1.61 per viewer.
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