• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
The Best Employers in Sports survey is open through Nov. 6 Learn More

Super Bowl Ads Sell Out Three Months Early, at Record Price

Ad units were believed to be selling at more than $7 million per 30 seconds. Three months before the Super Bowl, they were all gone.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In one of the latest examples of media networks battling for bragging rights, Fox Corp. said it has sold out of its advertising inventory for Super Bowl LIX in February at “record pricing.” 

As part of its fiscal first-quarter earnings report Monday, the Fox Sports parent said its ad units are gone, more than three months before the game.

“We still have a pretty robust football calendar yet to come, culminating with our broadcast of Super Bowl LIX, where we are already sold out and at record pricing,” said Fox CEO and executive chair Lachlan Murdoch.

Fox’s claim of record pricing could be largely a matter of semantics. 

Specific figures have not been released, but sales activity around the game has surpassed a $7 million rate per 30 seconds. That pricing is largely in line with recent years across multiple networks—even as the NFL has assumed a dominant role in U.S. television, and Super Bowl LVIII this past February set an American broadcast record with an average audience of 123.4 million. When the final numbers come out, the price could just be pennies higher than last year—or it could be significantly higher. Either way, Fox gets to claim a record.

In 2023, when Fox last aired the Super Bowl, the network said it generated nearly $600 million in advertising revenue related to the game. CBS Sports parent company Paramount, which aired Super Bowl LVIII, then surpassed that mark, though by exactly how much is not known. 

The broader flattening of the Super Bowl ad market, even with the NFL’s unrivaled popularity, owes to several factors, including the effects of social media, additional buying requirements that most Super Bowl broadcasters impose on brands, and still-rising production costs. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) reacts after a play during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium.

Gerrit Cole Reverses Opt Out, Stays With Yankees. What’s Next?

Discussions will now start on a potential contract extension to finish his career in New York.

New Era, New Chaos? New CFP Team Rankings Explained

The new College Football Playoff system’s complexities might confuse some college football fans.
Donald Trump

ESPN Will Drop First 12-Team CFP Rankings in Heart of Election Night

The network traditionally hasn’t shied away from going up against election coverage.

Saints Fire Dennis Allen: NFL’s Coaching Carousel Spins Early

The now-former Saints coach was in the third season of a four-year contract.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Surprising Start to MLB’s Offseason

0:00

Featured Today

Vanderbilt Commodores fans head to the south end zone as the goal post is taken down by exuberant fans after beating No. 1 Alabama 40-35 at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
opinion

Something New in College Football This Year: Parity

Upsets, surprises. CFB is more fun on the field than the NFL.
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump waves flanked by former Georgia Bulldogs player Herschel Walker, recording art Kid Rock, professional golfer John Daily, Alabama senators Tommy Tuberville (R) and Katie Britt (R) during the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
November 1, 2024

Mission Swing State: College Football’s Political Advertising Battle

Trump, Harris, and the PACs that support them are utilizing the sport.
October 31, 2024

The Untapped Revenue ‘Powder Keg’ of Women’s NFL Fandom

There’s a “boatload” of money at stake for brands and the league.
Donald Trump holding a basketball in the White House
October 30, 2024

Mavericks Owner’s $100 Million Trump Donation Dwarfs All Other Sports Owner Political Giving

Dr. Miriam Adelson is one of the most powerful donors in U.S. politics.

Skechers Wasn’t Cool. Then NBA Stars Started Wearing Them

The brand is not traditionally cool. Embiid, Randle, and others don’t care.
October 17, 2024

Netflix Shares Rise on Strong Earnings As Christmas NFL Games Lie Ahead

The next two months will include the Tyson-Paul fight and the NFL Christmas Day games.
Sponsored

World Series Delivers High-Demand Marquee Matchup

The hype around the World Series matchup drove ticket prices to record levels—but the Dodgers’ dominance quickly quieted the fervor.
September 21, 2024

Fanatics’ NHL Jersey Plan

The sports merchandising giant rolls out four tiers of redesigned NHL jerseys.
A view of a Nike retail store in New York City.
August 15, 2024

Nike Shares Surge As Bill Ackman Invests, Igniting Turnaround Hopes

The billionaire hedge-fund executive holds significant influence in the market.
Topgolf
August 7, 2024

Callaway ‘Disappointed’ With Topgolf, Exploring Spin-Off

Callaway announced a strategic review of Topgolf during its Q2 report.
June 25, 2024

Mets Owner Buys Chunk of Knicks Owner’s Las Vegas Sphere

Cohen made the investment through his hedge fund, Point72.