The cost of advertising during the Olympics has increased by 40% in the 10 years since 1996, Nielsen Monitor-Plus reported Thursday.
During the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, the average cost of a 30-second ad was $250,000. In contrast, advertisers for the 2006 Torino Winter Games paid an average of $350,000 per 30-second ad.
Commercial time during Olympics Opening ceremonies has also increased in recent years, according to Nielsen.
During the Opening Ceremony of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002, NBC aired 35 minutes of commercial time. That alottment jumped to 40 minutes during the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, and grew again to 43 minutes and 55 seconds during 2006 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Torino.
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