Behind the Numbers: The $7 Million 30-Second Super Bowl Ad
Super Bowl ads demand a premium because the game typically ranks as the most-watched media event of the year. This provides brands with a unique opportunity to reach a larger audience simultaneously than any other platform. Many companies seize this chance to reveal new products or introduce a fresh slogan.
Top brands spend millions to showcase their messages to a reliably massive television audience of over 100 million viewers on the Super Bowl, making it the costliest advertising venue on TV. The escalating cost of a 30-second advertisement over the years reflects the high demand for this event, prompting companies to invest millions in promoting their brands during the NFL showcase.
Big brands, including Anheuser-Busch with its iconic Clydesdales and Uber Eats featuring Jennifer Aniston, Victoria and David Beckham, will showcase their ads during this year’s Super Bowl. If you guessed that the cost of a 30-second ad this year is $7 million, you’re correct. This figure aligns with last year’s rates but signifies a 55% increase from 2019.
Advertisers this year not only allocate $7 million for half a minute of airtime but also invest in securing celebrities like Aniston and Snoop Dogg, along with elaborate productions. Additionally, many companies release their ads before the Super Bowl, aiming to generate excitement and capture attention.
“I try not to think about the money,” director Charles Kidd II, known as Calmatic, told media. He’s got a 60-second ad in this year’s Super Bowl for restaurant chain Popeye’s that features actor and comedian Ken Jeong,
Calmatic added, “Sometimes I don’t even want to know what the budget is, like just, ‘Let me create.’ We have to snap back to reality and be like, ‘Alright, everyone is going to see this.'”
Brands willingly invest because approximately 3 out of 4 individuals express genuine excitement about watching Super Bowl ads. As families and friends usually watch the game together, discussions about both the ads and the game itself often continue into the workplace the next day, according to experts.
With a massive audience of viewers who are glued to the Super Bowl commercials, brands are willing to pay up to secure a sliver of airtime.