"Last week gay dating site ManCrunch.com cried foul when CBS rejected their ad submission for this year’s Super Bowl, claiming that the creative did not meet “broadcasting standards” and that the sales department had difficulties in verifying the previously unknown site’s “credit status,” reports FoxNews. "This sparked speculation that the whole commercial, which the site said cost just under $100,000 to make, was a PR stunt, and that ManCrunch never had the $2.5 million to pay for the spot. However the site is actually owned by Avid Life Media, which reportedly makes around $30 million a year in revenue, through owning and operating a string of other niche-market online dating sites including Ashleymadison.com (for those looking to have affairs), Cougarlife.com (for women looking for younger men), Establishedmen.com (for “beautiful” ladies seeking wealthy guys), Swappernet.com (for swingers) and HotorNot.com (to rate and meet others).

“I am genuinely confused by the 'is it real or not' and 'hoax' tag... this is a true gay dating service, a real commercial, and [we had] genuine intent to air it on the 2010 Super Bowl," Avid Life Media President Noel Biderman told Pop Tarts exclusively. "Our company truly believes that identifying itself as legitimate alternative to the current male same sex services out there, would have been accelerated by placing what we feel is a very funny ad, on the Super Bowl.”

And while the officials behind ManCrunch.com denied the Super Bowl ad controversy was a carefully calculated move to propagate publicity in knowing they would be rejected, they aren’t denying that the proceeding media storm has hadsome advantages. “Obviously the commercial was controversial and we are aware of all the attention it is getting and it’s amazing,” a rep for the website said. “Everyone knows about ManCrunch now, but it is a double-edged sword. It’s going to be challenging to find another network willing to air the ad now that it had such a high-profile denial.” So if it wasn’t a manufactured media blitz, why was ManCrunch even willing to spend money on airing during the Super Bowl when it generally isn’t even the target audience? READ MORE


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