Get ready for an onslaught of ads full of celebrities, cute animals, and snack brands during breaks in the action at Super Bowl 59 on Feb. 9, when the Philadelphia Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The AP reports that demand for ad space was robust this year as the likes of Anheuser-Busch, Meta, PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Taco Bell, Uber Eats, and others vie to win over the more than 120 million viewers expected to tune in for the broadcast on Fox and via the free livestream on Tubi.
Mark Evans, executive vice president of ad sales for Fox Sports, said ad space sold out in November and that there was a waitlist for marketers ready to take the space of anyone who pulled out. The high demand 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.
Evans said this year's mix of ad categories for the most part includes the usual suspects: beverages, snacks, tech companies, and telecoms. There will be a focus on AI in more commercials, he said, and slightly more pharmaceutical companies advertising. One category that's down is movie promos and streamers. And automakers—another traditionally big category for the Super Bowl—are mainly sitting it out after a tough year in the sector, with only Jeep and Ram brands having announced an appearance. Advertisers are expected to begin releasing their ads in the days ahead of the game.
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