NFL advertisers prepare backup plans in case of lockout

Jeremy Hobson: Today, pro football players take their battle against team owners to a courtroom in Minnesota. They’re asking a judge to end the the three week old NFL lockout.

Marketplace’s Jennifer Collins reports advertisers and TV networks that air NFL games are already drawing up contingency plans.

Jennifer Collins: Sunday Night Football brings in tens of millions of viewers — easy.

Sunday Night Football promo: America’s ready. Set the big boys free ’cause the NFL rocks on NBC.

It also rocks on CBS and Fox. Advertisers throw $3 billion a year toward pro football — that’s around 4 percent of total TV advertising in the U.S. Bill Carroll is vice president of Katz Television Group.

Bill Carroll: The NFL is the most significant way in which both advertisers and the networks are reaching younger men.

Carroll says some advertisers are planning to buy time on traditional primetime shows. Sports economist Craig Depken says fans will still want to watch athletes — just other ones.

Craig Depken: This could lead to boons for college sports or for other professional sports we’re not watching right now, things like soccer perhaps.

If only soccer could figure out how to take more commercial breaks.

I’m Jennifer Collins for Marketplace.