AD BUZZ BUMMER

Super Bowl spots dimmed by Trump news blitz

The rapid-fire political media barrage from President Trump and others in Washington is keeping Madison Avenue from increasing its pre-Super Bowl advertising buzz, insiders tell The Post.

Ad agencies, afraid that the country’s intense focus on politics will stymie talk about their 30-second spots, are releasing fewer commercials and teaser clips ahead of the Feb. 5 game than last year, statistics show.

In January, 21 brands released 39 ads or teasers, according to iSpot.tv, a measurement firm.

Last year, 33 brands released 59 ads or teasers in January.

“Advertisers are prudent to hold back and hope for the big bang on the big stage on Sunday evening,” Susan Cantor, chief executive of brand-strategy firm Red Peak, told The Post.

“Right now, the country is obsessed with executive orders and the Supreme Court pick,” Cantor noted. “It’s prudent to hold back until the weekend.”

One Super Bowl advertiser, Snickers, has decided to become the first to air a TV spot live during the game in hopes that will cut through the pre-game clutter and create buzz.

There is no doubt that American TV viewers in January couldn’t get enough of politics.

Cable news ratings leader Fox News Channel saw its audience grow 35 percent in January, while CNN increased viewership 37 per- cent, and MSNBC saw a 53 percent bump during the month compared to last year, ratings out Tuesday revealed.

Not surprisingly, along with the smaller number of spots, Madison Avenue is spending less to promote them, according to iSpot.tv.

Super Bowl-related ad spending across all TV fell 15 percent in January, to $6.4 million from $7.6 million last January, the measurement firm said.

One Madison Avenue insider said the light-hearted Super Bowl spots don’t stand a chance against the dark and serious tone of Washington’s constant barrage of breaking news.

But the pre-game Super Bowl ad buzz-kill isn’t affecting ad spending for the game, according to Fox, which will air the event this year.

“We can’t wait until Sunday night,” said Bruce Lefkowitz, executive vice president at Fox Networks. “We’ll see the highest single revenue day in Fox history.”

Thirty-second spots for the game are selling for a record $5 million.

Some advertisers may be hoping there’s more opportunity to promote their spots after Super Bowl LI between the Patriots and the Falcons — when, perhaps, the mood in Washington gets brighter or the pace of news slows down, another Madison Avenue insider said.

Not everyone sees a link between a drop in Super Bowl ad releases and the country’s preoccupation with all things politics.

“There is zero correlation,” one ad executive said Tuesday. “If anything, one could flip that idea and say people need a respite from the gut-wrenching things.”