It has become a cultural event, one viewed by millions of people all over the world.
In fact, the Super Bowl remains the most-watched television program each year. According to data from Nielsen Super Bowls comprise the 10 most-viewed telecasts by average viewership, with last season’s Super Bowl LVIII leading the way with 123,714,000 average viewers.
You have to get to No. 11 on that list, the finale of M*A*S*H, to reach a non-Super Bowl.
That is a lot of fans … and a lot of potential customers to reach.
Those numbers are a reason that the Super Bowl has also become a cornerstone for advertising. Each year the advertisements are as much of the overall experience as the game itself, and now companies are starting to tease their upcoming Super Bowl ads, trying to generate buzz for their upcoming spots before Super Bowl Sunday.
All of this comes at a price, and an exceedingly steep one at that.
According to multiple reports FOX has sold at least 10 of the commercials that will air during Super Bowl LIX for more than $8 million, which would represent a new record price for Super Bowl commercials. As compiled by Statista, this is also an increase of $1 million over the past two Super Bowls.
But just how much has the average price of a Super Bowl ad increased over the past two decades? Back during Super Bowl XXXVI, played in 2002 between the New England Patriots and the St. Louis Rams, the average 30-second Super Bowl ad cost $2.2 million.
Just over 20 years later, we have reached the $8 million mark:
As you can see, costs of advertising during the Super Bowl have increased dramatically over the past few years. A 30-second advertisement during Super Bowl LV, played between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in February of 2021, was $5.5 million.
Since then the average cost of a 30-second Super Bowl spot has jumped to $6.5 million, then $7 million, and now to $8 million.
This dramatic increase may be due in part to the world’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as companies began to expand operations and advertising budgets after the economic slowdown experienced during that outbreak.
But at the moment, that increase shows no signs of slowing down.