Former FOX On-Air Exec Rates Super Bowl Promos: McHale, Ramsey, Tubi +

Since I spent ten of my years at Fox Broadcasting Company overseeing On-Air Promotion Planning and Scheduling (including within the Super Bowl), I was very curious about how the network was going to use its promo and “synergy” time within the Big Game. Every second of promo time is highly scrutinized and the decision-making can be highly political depending on the regime. I especially was keen to see whether the network and its sister companies produced custom spots for this unrivaled promotional platform and that answer was a strong “yes.”

Bottom line: I thought that those in charge made very smart and strategic decisions and the incredibly valuable inventory was well-utilized. Congrats to the hard-working and talented FOX Marketing teams, the unparalleled Fox Sports production crew, and the numerous other departments that had a hand in getting these spots on the air

Here are my thoughts

🏈 "Next Level Chef”: FOX's #1 priority was the latest Gordon Ramsay series which had a special preview after the game before moving to its regular time period on Tuesday. This was a no-brainer due to the show’s scheduling and the fact that Gordon Ramsay is such a FOX mainstay. Check out one of the spots HERE.

🏈 “Animal Control”: Closely behind was Joel McHale’s new comedy “Animal Control”, premiering this Thursday. “Special shoots” can fall flat but Joel McHale is a true pro and how can you go wrong with an animal co-star (in this case, a cougar)?  Check out one of the spots HERE.

🏈 “The Masked Singer”: I was anticipating that FOX’s #1 series would receive a prime placement and the very visual teaser that focused on costume reveals, shocking twists, and the on-air talent did not disappoint.

🏈 “Accused”: Back in my era, FOX utilized the Super Bowl to promote acclaimed dramas such as “24” and “Boston Public” so I was happy to see “24” producer Howard Gordon’s new series “Accused” receive a review-driven promo. 

🏈 “Greg Gutfeld”: The FOX News late-night hit received two :20 promos created specifically for the game that poked fun at the value of the spots. New to Greg Gutfeld, all this time I thought the show was hosted by Greg Grunberg (“Heroes”). Whoops!

🏈 Daytona 500: Of course, Fox Sports deserved promos in the Big Game so they used them to promote next Sunday’s Big Race. (This article is only about promos that aired in the game itself. FOX Sports aired several hours of pre-game coverage that likely contained THIS longer spot featuring Metallica).

🏈 Tubi: My assumption is that FOX’s sister company had to purchase their two spots and what amazing spots they were! The Super Clio-winning “Rabbit Hole” was brilliantly produced. I immediately got what Tubi was trying to convey. Something to ponder, though: As an “industry insider,” I know a lot about Tubi unlike my husband Bill. While he totally got the “rabbit hole” concept, he had no idea how it related to Tubi. The second spot, in which “Tubi navigation” interrupted the announcers, was ingenious and, for some, annoying. Although millions of new viewers have now “experienced” Tubi, did they really understand what was happening? I guess explainer posts like this were one of Tubi’s goals. Interrupting promos and commercials was something we experimented with years ago but not the great effect Tubi and FOX accomplished here. 

🏈 Announcer copy/graphics: In some years, the announcers can promote the network programs in a heavy-handed way. Not this year. I thought the quantity and tone of their shilling were on point. I was amused by how they talked about Rupert and Elisabeth Murdoch’s chowing down hot dogs with Elon Musk and I wondered what they really wanted to say! And who was the mystery woman sitting next to Rupert?