Triller poised to make Super Bowl commercial debut

Triller, the app that wants to take on TikTok, has a Super Bowl commercial in the works to run on CBS during the game, according to a person familiar with the company's plans.
Triller, a music-and-video-sharing app, burst into prominence this summer, when it looked like Chinese-owned TikTok was in trouble in the U.S. (Outgoing President Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok, citing concerns over its foreign ownership, and Triller's founders and investors tried to capitalize by wooing top creative talent to try its app instead.)
TikTok has remained strong in the U.S., but Triller, which claims to reach 65 million people a month, has not given up its quest. Now, the company plans to spend millions on a Super Bowl spot. Triller will play the role of scrappy startup with its first sponsorship at the Super Bowl.
For decades, the Big Game has been a place for dotcom darlings to promote their businesses, but there is a mixed history for the brands. Some have floundered, like Quibi, which had a Super Bowl spot last year, and promptly went out of business. Other tech titans have made history at the Super Bowl, like Apple in 1984.
Triller declined to comment for this story, but a person close to Triller says that the app will appear in a national spot during the game. It's still unknown what ad agency will help produce the ad and the length of the spot.
This summer, Triller raised $100 million from investors, with plans to raise $250 million in its fundraising spree, according to reports. The startup is known for making splashy marketing moves to generate buzz around the company. In November, Triller produced one of the most-anticipated sporting events of 2020, the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. fight. Triller bought the rights to the fight for $50 million, according to CNBC.
Triller joins a growing list of first-time Super Bowl advertisers, including online car seller Vroom, freelance platform Fiverr and Scotts Miracle-Gro.