Wasn't the going rate $2.6 million for a 30 second commercial on SB? That's for a 30 second exposure when half of the audience is in the bathroom or kitchen. Instead, Turner gets real news coverage for days on end. Let's assume Turner didn't intend for any of this to happen. What is the lesson for the next would-be network with a deadend show that has a 0.001 rating? You could blow all the venture capital on an expensive ad campaign that might or might not get noticed. Or you could create a controversy, apologize, and watch the ratings climb.
I think Superbowl ads are the blingage of the advertising world. The companies that buy them do so because they have big bucks and want to show off, or are companies hoping that people seeing thier ads will think they have big bucks so as to attract investment $$.