On the grand stage of Super Bowl LIX, as the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles gear up for a thrilling face-off, the gridiron isn’t the only battleground. Beyond touchdowns and tackles, a high-stakes contest unfolds in the realm of advertising. Brands and advertisers are poised to invest millions, pinning their hopes on commercials set to air during the 2025 Super Bowl broadcast. The question on everyone’s mind: How Much Is a Super Bowl commercial spot, and why are companies willing to pay such exorbitant prices?
Decoding the Price Tag: The Average Cost of a 30-Second Super Bowl Commercial in 2025
For the 2025 Super Bowl, advertisers seeking to capture the attention of a massive audience had to open their wallets wide. According to Peter Bray, the founder and executive creative director of Bray & Co. ad agency, a 30-second commercial spot during Super Bowl LIX commanded an average price of close to $8 million. This staggering figure, revealed to CBS MoneyWatch, underscores the immense value placed on reaching the Super Bowl’s unparalleled viewership.
To put this cost into perspective, the price of a 30-second ad has steadily climbed over recent years. In 2024, the same 30-second slot cost approximately $7 million, and in 2023, it was also around $7 million. This represents a significant 55% increase from 2019, when a 30-second spot went for roughly $4.5 million. Peter Bray notes this upward trend, describing Super Bowl advertising costs as “creeping up” and predicting that total ad sales for the broadcast will soon reach an unprecedented $1 billion.
He emphasizes the magnitude of the event, stating, “I think in three years it’s going to hit a billion dollars in ad sales. And that has never before happened on the planet. That is the immensity of this event.” This projected billion-dollar milestone highlights the Super Bowl’s unique position as an advertising juggernaut.
Unpacking the Premium: Why Are Super Bowl Ads So Expensive?
The hefty price tag associated with Super Bowl commercials isn’t arbitrary. It’s a reflection of the unparalleled reach and cultural significance of the event. As Peter Bray aptly puts it, “It’s the advertising industry’s Super Bowl as well. It’s the one time of year where the general public actually cares about advertising so it’s an exciting time.”
The Super Bowl transcends a mere sporting event; it’s a cultural phenomenon that captivates a vast and diverse audience. In 2025, over 120 million viewers were expected to tune in to Super Bowl LIX, broadcast on Fox and streamed on Tubi. This massive, concentrated viewership is a goldmine for advertisers seeking to make a significant impact.
Furthermore, the rise of social media has amplified the importance of Super Bowl advertising. In an era of fragmented media consumption, the Super Bowl remains one of the few events that can draw a truly massive, simultaneous audience. Bray explains, “It’s actually made advertising in the Super Bowl more relevant than ever because what’s happened is with all these different platforms, it’s very difficult to find a large audience at once.” While platforms like TikTok and Instagram offer advertising opportunities, audience duplication across these platforms can dilute reach. The Super Bowl offers a rare opportunity to cut through the noise and deliver a message to a colossal, engaged audience.
To capitalize on this attention, brands invest in crafting memorable and impactful commercials. The strategies often involve leveraging humor, emotion, and celebrity power to create cultural moments that resonate with viewers and generate social media buzz.
The Celebrity Effect: How Much Do Stars Add to the Super Bowl Ad Cost?
Celebrity endorsements are a common tactic in Super Bowl commercials, adding star power and drawing viewers’ eyes. However, this star power comes at a considerable cost. The price of celebrity cameos in Super Bowl ads varies widely depending on the celebrity’s fame and screen time, ranging from under $50,000 for brief appearances to millions of dollars for prominent roles. Peter Bray estimates that most celebrities featured in Super Bowl spots command fees in the $2 million range.
A notable example of a significant celebrity investment is Ben Affleck’s partnership with Dunkin’. For his role in Dunkin’s 2024 Super Bowl ad, reports indicated that Affleck was paid nearly $10 million. This marked his second Super Bowl commercial for the brand, following a successful debut in 2023 alongside Jennifer Lopez. Dunkin’s 2023 ad generated a staggering 7 billion impressions, highlighting the potential return on investment for celebrity-driven Super Bowl campaigns.
Dunkin’s strategy goes beyond simply hiring celebrities; they strategically choose personalities that align with their brand image. Bray notes, “Ben Affleck is a great combination with Dunkin’, not because of him as an actor or director, but how he’s perceived in popular culture.” Similarly, featuring Jeremy Strong, known for his “method actor” persona in “Succession,” adds another layer of intrigue to Dunkin’s advertising. By connecting celebrity personas with brand values, Dunkin’ creates ads that are both entertaining and impactful.
A Historical Perspective: Super Bowl Ad Costs Through the Decades
Super Bowl advertising has a rich history, dating back to the very first Super Bowl in 1967. In that inaugural game, a 30-second spot cost $37,500 on NBC and $42,500 on CBS. While these figures seem incredibly low compared to today’s prices, they represented a significant investment at the time.
The cost of Super Bowl ads has largely followed an upward trajectory over the years. The price for a 30-second ad surpassed $1 million in 1995 and reached $5 million by 2017. This consistent increase reflects the growing popularity of the Super Bowl and its enduring appeal to advertisers as a prime platform to reach a massive audience.
Contrasting Trends: Super Bowl Ticket Prices vs. Ad Costs
Interestingly, while Super Bowl commercial costs continue to soar, ticket prices to attend the game in person experienced a slight decrease in 2025. The average ticket price on StubHub for Super Bowl LIX was around $7,100, approximately 17% lower than the average price at the same time for the Las Vegas Super Bowl the previous year.
Adam Budelli, a StubHub spokesperson, attributes this ticket price drop to several factors. Firstly, the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, the venue for Super Bowl LIX, has a larger seating capacity (roughly 73,000) than Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (65,000). Increased supply can naturally lead to lower prices.
Secondly, travel costs play a significant role in ticket demand. Attending an “away” Super Bowl involves expenses beyond just the ticket price, including hotel accommodations and airfare. These additional costs can influence fans’ willingness to pay top dollar for tickets.
Finally, Budelli suggests market fatigue, particularly among Kansas City Chiefs fans, as a contributing factor. The Chiefs’ repeated Super Bowl appearances may have led to some fans being less willing to spend exorbitant amounts on tickets year after year.
Despite the dip in ticket prices, Budelli anticipated prices to rise closer to game day due to limited ticket availability and high demand for this “marquee, bucket list type of event.”
Extreme Ends of the Spectrum: The Most and Least Expensive Super Bowl Ads Ever
While the average cost of a Super Bowl ad is already astronomical, some commercials have reached even greater heights in terms of production expenses. The title of most expensive Super Bowl ad ever aired belongs to Amazon’s “Mind Reader” commercial, which debuted during Super Bowl LVI in 2022. This 90-second spot, featuring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost, reportedly cost a staggering $26 million to produce.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the cheapest Super Bowl ad appears to be a commercial by the startup company LifeMinders.com, which aired in 2000. This 30-second ad was created in-house by three freelancers with a remarkably low budget of less than $5,000. Despite its low-budget production, the LifeMinders.com ad proved surprisingly effective, driving 700,000 people to their website in the week following the Super Bowl. This example demonstrates that impactful advertising doesn’t always require massive spending.
Conclusion: The Enduring Value of Super Bowl Advertising
How much is a Super Bowl commercial? In 2025, the average price hovered around $8 million for 30 seconds, a testament to the Super Bowl’s unmatched reach and cultural significance. While the costs are undeniably high, brands continue to flock to this advertising arena, recognizing the potential to capture the attention of over 100 million viewers and create lasting cultural moments. From celebrity endorsements to historical trends and contrasting ticket prices, the economics of Super Bowl advertising offer a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of sports, entertainment, and marketing.
