The high demand seems to have pushed Super Bowl ad prices to a new record.
Super Bowl 59 on Feb. 9 is expected to be filled with commercials featuring celebrities, cute animals, and popular snack brands. The game will see the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Major companies such as Anheuser-Busch, Meta, PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Taco Bell, Uber Eats, and others will be competing for the attention of the estimated 120 million viewers who will be watching the broadcast on Fox or via the free livestream on Tubi.
This year, there was high demand for advertising space, according to Mark Evans, the executive vice president of ad sales for Fox Sports. Ad space for the event sold out as early as November, leading to a waitlist for marketers eager to secure a spot in case any participants withdrew their ads.
The high demand seems to have pushed prices to a record, with a few ad spots reportedly selling for a record $8 million and even $8 million-plus for 30 seconds. Fox declined to comment on the specific price tag for 30 seconds, which can vary depending on placement and other factors. But in an earnings call in November, CEO Lachlan Murdoch said ad space had sold out at “record pricing.” Last year, a 30-second spot went for around a reported $7 million.
The Super Bowl is a hot ticket for advertisers because the live viewing audience is so large. Last year, an estimated 123.7 million viewers tuned into the game, according to Nielsen.
Evans said the mix of ad categories for the most part includes the usual suspects: beverages, snacks, tech companies and telcos. There will be a focus on AI in more commercials, he said, and slightly more pharmaceutical companies advertising this year.
One category that’s down is movie promos and streamers. Another traditionally big category for the Super Bowl, automakers, are mainly sitting it out after a tough year in the sector, with only Stellantis’ Jeep and Ram brands having announced an appearance.
The California wildfires in January made the lead up to the game less predictable than usual. State Farm pulled out of its planned advertising to focus on the fires. And some other advertisers faced production delays. But Evans said accommodations were made wherever possible.
“These are unique circumstances. … So we’re being as accommodating as possible to try to make sure that everybody can get done what they need to get done,” he said. “But more importantly, you know, don’t put themselves or anybody else in harm’s way because of it.”
Advertisers are expected to begin releasing their ads in the days ahead of the game. One of the first ads to debut was an ad for Budweiser — which won’t air nationally but will air in some regional markets — featuring a Clydesdale foal that helps make a beer delivery.
Another Anheuser-Busch brand, Michelob Ultra, also released its ad, which shows Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara as pickleball hustlers.
Teasers have abounded this year, including one from Hellmann’s that hints of a reunion between Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal’s characters in “When Harry Met Sally,” an Uber Eats teaser starring Charli XCX and Martha Stewart, and Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt touting Meta’s Smart Glasses.
