Brands such as Budweiser, Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Taco Bell and Uber Eats will vie to win over the more than 120 million viewers in the US who are expected to tune in for the Super Bowl on 9 February, with adverts selling for millions of dollars.
The game, between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, will be broadcast on Fox and livestreamed on Tubi in the US. Demand for ad space was robust this year, said Mark Evans, executive vice president of ad sales for Fox Sports, with ad space selling out in November and a waitlist for marketers ready to take the space of anyone who pulled out.
The high demand seems to have pushed prices to a record, with a few ad spots reportedly selling for $8m-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 $7m.
The Super Bowl is a hot ticket for advertisers in the US because it is one of the few live television events that can still consistently draw in huge audiences. Last year, an estimated 123.7 million viewers tuned into the game in the US, according to Nielsen. The relationship between the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift has helped increase interest in the game among non-sports fans.
Evans said the mix of ad categories for the most part includes the usual suspects: drinks, snacks and tech companies. There will be an increased focus on AI, he said, and slightly more pharmaceutical companies advertising this year.
One category that looks to be down is movie trailers and streaming services. Another traditionally big category for the Super Bowl, car companies, are mainly sitting it out after a tough year in the sector, with only Jeep and Ram having announced an appearance.
The California wildfires in January made the lead up to the game less predictable than usual. State Farm insurance 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 before the game. One of the first ads to debut was 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 at 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.
