Some commercials for Super Bowl LIX sold for $8M, per reports

At least 10 commercials to air during Super Bowl LIX on Fox have sold for $8 million, according to multiple reports Wednesday.

Fox reported in November that it had sold out of ad spots, at what it said it believed to be “record pricing,” Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said at the time. As spots were dwindling, the price increased, according to reports. Super Bowl ads normally increase by about $100,000 each year, but this year, the increase was reportedly closer to $500,000.

“What was unique to this Super Bowl, or this marketplace, was we had a lot more people that weren’t in the game at all, all of a sudden be like, no, no, I have to get in the game,” Fox Sports EVP/ad sales Mark Evans said.

Around 123.7 million people watched the Super Bowl last year, according to Nielsen, and more than 115 million viewers watched in 2023, the last time the Super Bowl aired on Fox.

Anheuser-Busch, Meta, PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Taco Bell, Uber Eats and others will 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.

“If I learned anything, it’s that we’re in a period now where the live sporting event, where people and families come together to watch, is that much more coveted,” Evans said. “There’s an escalation in price and interest in the demand for live sports, but we’re not at its peak. We’ve still got runway for growth.”

Fox declined to comment on the specific price tag for 30 seconds. Last year, a 30-second spot went for around a reported $7 million.

Evans said the mix of ad categories for the most part includes the usual suspects: beverages, snacks, tech companies and telcos. There will be a focus on AI in more commercials, he said, and slightly more pharmaceutical companies advertising this year.

One category that’s down is movie promos and streamers. Another traditionally big category for the Super Bowl, automakers, are mainly sitting it out after a tough year in the sector, with only Stellantis’ Jeep and Ram brands having announced an appearance.

The California wildfires in January made the lead-up to the game less predictable than usual. State Farm pulled out of its planned advertising to focus on the fires. And some other advertisers faced production delays. But Evans said accommodations were made wherever possible.

Advertisers are expected to begin releasing their ads in the days ahead of the game. One of the first ads to debut was an ad for Budweiser, featuring a Clydesdale foal that helps make a beer delivery.

Another Anheuser-Busch brand, Michelob Ultra, also released its ad, which shows Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara as pickleball hustlers.

Hellmann’s ad brings Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal back together for a reprise of the Katz’s Deli scene in “When Harry Met Sally.”

Teasers have abounded this year, from an Uber Eats teaser starring Charli XCX and Martha Stewart to Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt touting Meta’s Smart Glasses.

Super Bowl LIX will be played at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 9, when the Philadelphia Eagles will face the Kansas City Chiefs.

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.