SAN DIEGO – The Super Bowl lived up to its billing as the premiere selling event for big-screen TV, as indicated by an increase in ads and promotions for large-screen TV sets in weeks leading up to the big game.
According to data compiled by Gap Intelligence, in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl last year, 322 TV print ads were placed, while the two weeks following the Super Bowl saw a 29 percent drop in print ads to 229.
The pattern continued this year, with 314 print ads placed in the two weeks prior to the Super Bowl, Gap said.
So far, in the one week following Super Bowl 2014, ads have dropped by more than 50 percent compared with the week before the game, noted Deirdre Kennedy, Gap TV product retail sales analyst.
Watching the Super Bowl on a large screen is often touted as a reason to buy a new TV, and this year the percentage of ads featuring TVs 60 inches or larger increased by more than 30 percent over last year’s pre-Super Bowl counts.
In 2013, ads for screens smaller than 60 inches saw a 21 percent drop year over year to 179.
