When I received the press release from Marvel announcing that their Marvel NOW product launch would be featured via product placement as a category on Jeopardy in tomorrow’s (Dec 13 2012) episode I was astonished.  Jeopardy allows companies to buy a category or  answer on their show?  In my youth I was a faithful viewer of the quizshow and admit I haven’t been a TV watcher in over a decade so figured I should do a bit of research.

Seems to the day in 2005, Jeopardy had a category “Apple of my Eye” which Apple Computers bought.  IBM started negotiations with Jeopardy in 2008 to feature their Watson computer on the show.   April of last year featured the MET Opera‘s new season line-up.  According to the Jeopardy FAQs website, the show is rife with commercial tie-ins these days.

I wonder, was it always so and I was too naïve to notice, or is this a change in the product in the last 7+ years?  Do you have other instances you’d like to share of Jeopardy selling out?