NFL Is Back, and Super Bowl Ads Already Selling at Record Prices

The NFL season kicks off tonight in Los Angeles — and it’s already creating buzz around February’s Super Bowl.

Fox Sports has sold 30-second Super Bowl commercials for more than $7 million each — a record for the big game — and has sold “north of 95%” of available inventory, according to Mark Evans, head of ad sales at the network.

Evans said the prices are rising partially due to other shows and events moving to commercial-free streaming services, leaving companies with fewer places to advertise. But the Super Bowl can guarantee brands some exposure.

• The 2022 Super Bowl generated approximately $434.5 million in ad spending.
• Companies received an estimated $170 million worth of “in-game exposure,” according to a report by Hive and Elevate.
• Super Bowl LVI had an estimated total viewing audience of more than 208 million, averaging 99.2 million viewers on NBC.

Fox last broadcast the Super Bowl in 2020 and sold out of inventory by November 2019. Fox is reportedly on pace with NBC’s sales last year.

NFL’s Super Switch

Some of the Super Bowl’s biggest advertisers are shrinking their footprints on the game. 

Pepsi will no longer serve as the presenting partner for the Super Bowl halftime show as it looks to transition more of its media spend toward digital audiences.

Anheuser-Busch did not renew its exclusivity deal for Super Bowl LVII, clearing the way for other alcohol brands to advertise during the game. Shortly after the June announcement, Molson Coors purchased its first spot in more than 30 years.