Of course, the Super Bowl has only gone to overtime twice in its now-59-year history. Most recently, the game had extra minutes last year for Super Bowl 58, with the Kansas City Chiefs taking down the San Fransisco 49ers. Before that, the first overtime was in 2017 when Fox aired the Patriots’ comeback win against the Falcons.
Overtime rules have changed since 2017, moving from sudden death to now having both teams possess the ball at least once. Though that seems like it’s a positive for advertisers, Evans cautions that there are still several unknowns when it comes to overtime. For instance, an interception return would end the game, putting an immediate stop to any additional ad breaks.
For Evans, planning for the unknown comes down to years of experience broadcasting Super Bowls. The Fox Sports ad leader said he’s seen almost everything at this point, from having the first overtime game to seeing a drive last 13 minutes, which makes ads slide to different spots.
“As we sell these spots and as we set them up, the vernacular that we use—because it’s live sports and almost anything can happen—we explain those contingencies to every advertiser as we sell every unit, so there is full transparency,” Evans said.
When it comes to overtime, it’s another example of a “game within the game.”
“Those are the little things on game day that my team and I are deeply immersed in,” Evans said. “It’s super high-stress, but it’s insanely fun.”