Ultimate Super Bowl: Fox Executives

The Super Bowl is a mass market spectacle that usually draws in nearly every American demographic, but rarely satisfies any one of them. The Ultimate Super Bowl examines what would happen if the NFL could focus on one demographic at a time.

Target audience: Fox executives.

Ultimate Super Bowl: For Fox executives, it's all about eyeballs. They want as many people watching the game as possible, not only for the commercials that companies pay for, but also for their own efforts to promote their other programs.

So Patriots-Giants is a good match-up, in the sense that it has two of the most attractive teams from a ratings perspective, although Patriots-Cowboys or Patriots-Packers probably would have done a little better. But at this point, the most important thing is that the game stays close enough that people keep watching into the fourth quarter. A blowout would be bad, a close game would be good, and overtime ... Fox executives can dream, can't they?

One other note: Fox executives don't want to be hauled in before Congress and fined by the FCC the way CBS executives were four years ago after Janet Jackson's breast appeared on TV for half a second. So the folks at Fox hope the halftime show is non-controversial.

Chances of anything like this happening: Considering that the Patriots are two-touchdown favorites, it seems fairly unlikely that the Giants will make it a down-to-the-wire thriller. But at least Tom Petty is unlikely to have a wardrobe malfunction.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-25-2008 @ 8:14AM

John M said...

Hi,

Its nice to see a team react to a loss (game 16) with class like the Giants did. They never made excuses and they deserve another shot at New England. There are some teams that do not react this way and it will eventually come back to bite them (San Diego). They don't seem to realize that business is settled on the field and not in front of a camera in the locker room. On a lighter note, the country is in for a treat 10 days from now. The two best teams in each respective conference are playing. I will be routing for the Giants this year. Lets all enjoy..

John
Ocala FL

1-25-2008 @ 10:25AM

Kustie the Klown said...

The truth of the matter is that the Giants, though they reside in NY/NJ, are a regional team at best--and they aren't even a true regional team since they share that same region with the Jets. For all their big market trappings, the Giants are nothing but a niche team that is capable on its own of generating nothing more than niche interest.

From a Fox executive standpoint it's no question that the Packers or Cowboys would have been a more desirable matchup in this SB. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me at all if there are more fans of both the Cowboys and Packers in NYC than there are of the Giants.