(Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports) Super Bowl XLIX, won by the New England Patriots.
The cost of a 30-second ad slot during Super Bowl 50 has soared to $5 million, according to next year's broadcaster of the big game, CBS.
That's up 11% on the highest price this year's broadcaster, NBC, earned for its Super Bowl ads. NBC charged as much as $4.5 million for an ad during the most recent Super Bowl.
The last time CBS aired the Super Bowl, three years ago, the average 30-second spot cost $3.8 million.
Speaking on the company's second-quarter earnings call, CBS chief executive Les Moonves reiterated that Super Bowl ads airing on TV would also stream online at the same time, generating even more revenue.
"We are learning a lot, and as you can see, as you read what Comcast is doing, what DISH is doing, is the addressability is becoming clearer and clearer, and that is only good news for us," Moonves said. "The more they know [about their audiences], the more we're going to be able to sell."
Moonves dismissed a question that suggested the sheer production costs of broadcasting the game, plus incremental sports rights, may make it tough to make money.
He responded: "If there's a rap on it, tell them we will take the Super Bowl every single year, year in, year out, forever. So you know what, if the incremental doesn't outweigh the amount of money you get per spot, what NBC got last year, it is very, very worth it. You are going to see it in revenue and in profit in 2016, and we love having it. We're very excited about having it. There's no downside."
Moonves has previously said a Super Bowl spot on CBS could eventually fetch as much as $6 million.
Meanwhile, CBS is entering its biggest year in terms of NFL programming, which also includes Thursday games and Sunday games. Moonves made what he called the "bold statement" that CBS was on track to "win" for the 2015-2016 season versus competitors in terms of ad revenue.
CBS second-quarter earnings
CBS reported a 1% lift in revenue to $3.22 billion in its second quarter, but profit fell 24% to $332 million as gains in its cable networks were offset by other divisions' performances and investments in programming and new digital services.
The company launched its Showtime over-the-top streaming service in the quarter, which it believes can reach a new audience of up to 90 million households. On the earnings call, the company's COO, Joe Ianniello, said every 1 million new subscribers would equal $100 million of profit. CBS is also considering exporting the Showtime OTT service internationally.