Skip navigation

Sports Biz


Current DateTime: 01:55:39 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 23279670
Expiration DateTime: 2/10/2012 1:57:30 AM

SPORTS BIZ SLIDESHOWS

» More

Current DateTime: 01:55:39 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 37998722

DARREN ROVELL'S SPORTS INDEX

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

ABOUT SPORTS BIZ

Darren Rovell brings you his unique take on the business of sports: a multi-billion dollar global industry and obsession full of personalities and products. On Sports Biz, Darren will give you his up-to-date take on everything from salaries to endorsement deals to marketing and promotions, trades and tirades – in short, everything that makes sports so exciting.

Gay Ad—Too Much for CBS?

Published: Friday, 29 Jan 2010 | 2:34 PM ET
Text Size
By: Darren Rovell
CNBC Sports Business Reporter

On the heels of the controversy surrounding the presumably pro-life Tim Tebow ad, which Super Bowl broadcaster CBS approved, comes the complaint from a male dating Web site called Mancrunch.com.

mancrunch superbowl ad
Source: mancrunch.com
Excerpt of the ManCrunch Superbowl ad.

Site spokesperson Elissa Buchter told CNBC that site officials were told that CBS was sold out of all its spots, as late as yesterday, even though that was not the case.  “We’ve been unable to get a response since then,” Buchter said. “I think they’re just going to stall as long as they can so it doesn’t appear as if they are rejecting the ad.”

Buchter says she thinks it’s the gay issue that the network doesn’t want to touch.

“If it were a heterosexual couple or even two women, it probably would have gotten approved,” she said.

Others aren’t so sure.

One television insider said that the actions of the actors in the spot would never have made air no matter what the sexes are of the people in the spot.

And sources say that it’s possible that Mancrunch.com won’t pass the necessary credit check – making all of this moot.

Buchter says that although the site has only been up and running for a couple months, it has no credit problems. "We have plenty of investors who have raised over $40 million," she said.

For its part, CBS spokesman Dana McClintock would only say that the ad is currently "under review."

The company, which says it has spent $100,000 on the spot, is already running the ad on its Web site and the commercial on YouTube has surpassed 15,000 hits.

What do you think about this and the other 'controversial ads' that will be airing or have been rejected by CBS?

Vote Now.

Update: Mancrunch.com officials say they have just received a formal rejection of the ad from CBS.

2nd Update: CBS said in its rejection that the creative "is not within the network's broadcast standards for Super Bowl Sunday." The rejection also said the sales department "has had difficulty verifying your organization's credit status." Mancrunch.com said they offered to pay a cash advance.

3rd Update: "We are very disappointed that in 2010 such discrimination is happening especially given the fact that Focus on the Family is allowed to promote their way of life during the Super Bowl," said Mancrunch.com spokesperson Dominic Friesen. "We're calling on every same sex advocacy group to petition CBS and let them know this discriminatory behavior will not be tolerated."

More Super Bowl Coverage Including:

Questions?  Comments? 

© 2012 CNBC, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Current DateTime: 01:50:23 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29778428

Current DateTime: 11:56:47 09 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29779196

Current DateTime: 10:08:28 09 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29779197

Current DateTime: 10:56:23 09 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29779199
CNBCCNBC
About CNBC  |  Site Map  |  Video Reprints   |  Advertise  |  Help  |  Contact
Privacy Policy  |     |  Terms of Service  |  Independent Programming Report
  Data is a real-time snapshot  *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis

© 2012 CNBC LLC.  All Rights Reserved.
A Division of NBCUniversal
Thomson ReutersThomson Reuters