Motion Picture Academy Will Allow Some Movie Commercials in 2009 Oscar Show

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences will allow movie commercials in its Oscars telecast next February for the first time in 56 years, opening the door to a huge new source of revenue in the midst of one of the greatest advertising crunches in American history.

Wayne Friedman reported in MediaPost News that the Academy "may have been moved by a changing TV ad environment." General Motors, one of the show’s biggest sponsors over the years, announced early in 2008 that it would not advertise in next year’s show.

Friedman said Hyundai Motor America had taken up much of the General Motors time, but the Academy may have looked at its long term vulnerability in the troubled television advertising world.

The Academy decided prior to its first televised show in 1953 that it would not accept movie commercials to avoid any suspicion of influence from the studios. It will continue to guard against that suspicion by allowing only one movie commercial during any commercial break and by limiting each studio to one ad for a single movie. It will also limit the commercials to movies that are opening in the last week of April or later.

ABC reportedly is charging $1.8 million for a 30-second spot in the Oscar show. That’s second only to the $3 million charged for a spot in the Super Bowl telecast.

Reference: "Awards Show To Allow Film Commercials" by Wayne Friedman, MediaPody News, Oct 9, 2008