The Super Bowl is more than just a championship game; it’s a cultural phenomenon, and for advertisers, it’s the ultimate stage. As millions tune in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles clash in Super Bowl LIX, another competition is happening alongside the game: the battle for viewers’ attention during commercial breaks. But how much does it actually cost for brands to seize this coveted airtime and showcase their message to a massive audience?
The Soaring Price Tag of a 30-Second Spot in Super Bowl 2025
For Super Bowl LIX in 2025, advertisers faced a staggering price tag of nearly $8 million for a 30-second commercial slot. This is according to Peter Bray, founder and executive creative director at Bray & Co. ad agency, who shared insights with CBS MoneyWatch. Bray estimates that around 51 minutes of advertising were sold during the broadcast, which typically spans three to four hours. This pushes the total revenue from Super Bowl ad sales into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
This nearly $8 million figure marks a significant increase from previous years. In 2024, a 30-second spot cost approximately $7 million, and the same price held for the 2023 Super Bowl. Looking further back, the cost in 2019 was considerably lower, marking a 55% jump to the 2023 price. According to Bray, these Super Bowl advertising costs are consistently “creeping up,” and he predicts that ad sales for the Super Bowl broadcast will soon reach an unprecedented $1 billion.
“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,” Bray stated, emphasizing the Super Bowl’s unparalleled advertising significance.
Why is Super Bowl Commercial Airtime So Expensive?
The Super Bowl’s exorbitant commercial costs are rooted in its massive viewership and unique cultural position. As Bray points out, “It’s the advertising industry’s Super Bowl as well.” Unlike any other event, the Super Bowl is a time when the general public actively anticipates and discusses the commercials, making it a prime opportunity for brands to make a lasting impression.
The rise of social media has further amplified the Super Bowl’s advertising relevance. In an era of fragmented audiences across numerous digital platforms like TikTok and Instagram, the Super Bowl offers a rare chance to reach a vast, concentrated audience simultaneously. While advertisers might risk audience duplication across different social media platforms, the Super Bowl guarantees exposure to a unique and massive viewership.
With over 120 million viewers expected for Super Bowl LIX, broadcast on Fox and streamed on Tubi, brands are eager to capture their attention. To do so, they often employ strategies like humor, emotional storytelling, and celebrity appearances to create memorable “cultural moments” that resonate with a broad audience. Comedy is often seen as a safe and effective approach to avoid alienating viewers, while celebrity endorsements are increasingly common, albeit costly.
The Celebrity Factor: Ben Affleck and Dunkin’s Super Bowl Success
Celebrities can significantly inflate the cost of a Super Bowl commercial. Depending on their fame and appeal, a celebrity cameo can range from under $50,000 to millions of dollars. Bray estimates that many stars featured in Super Bowl ads command around $2 million. For instance, Ben Affleck reportedly earned nearly $10 million for his role in a Dunkin’ Super Bowl ad last year.
Dunkin’s successful Super Bowl advertising campaigns, featuring Affleck, exemplify the power of celebrity endorsements. Affleck, a Boston native and genuine Dunkin’ fan, first appeared in a Dunkin’ Super Bowl commercial in 2023 alongside Jennifer Lopez. This initial 30-second spot generated a staggering 7 billion impressions for Dunkin’ after its debut. The campaign expanded to include collaborations with Gen Z rapper Ice Spice and culminated in the 2024 Super Bowl ad, a comedic 60-second spot featuring “The DunKings,” a fictional rap group with Affleck, Matt Damon, and Tom Brady.
Bray highlights the strategic brilliance of Dunkin’s celebrity choices: “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.” He further notes how Dunkin’ cleverly leverages celebrities’ public personas, like Jeremy Strong’s “method actor” reputation, to create more impactful and resonant advertising.
Super Bowl Ticket Prices: A Contrast to Rising Ad Costs
Interestingly, while Super Bowl commercial costs continue to climb, ticket prices to attend the game in person have seen a slight decrease. StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli attributes this ticket price drop partly to the larger seating capacity of Caesars Superdome (approximately 73,000) compared to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (65,000), the venue for the previous Super Bowl.
“What we’ve seen so far is our average ticket price sold is right around $7,100, and that’s actually down around 17% YoY, when compared to the same time in Las Vegas,” Budelli explained before Super Bowl Sunday.
Other factors influencing ticket prices include travel costs and potential “fan fatigue.” Budelli suggests that with the Chiefs making their fifth Super Bowl appearance in six years, and the Eagles having won a Super Bowl in the past decade, some fans might be less willing to spend exorbitant amounts on tickets. However, he also anticipated ticket prices to rise closer to game day due to limited availability and high demand for such a prestigious event.
A Look Back: Super Bowl Commercial Costs Over the Years
Super Bowl advertising has a long history, dating back to the very first Super Bowl in 1967. In that inaugural game, a 30-second commercial cost $37,500 on NBC and $42,500 on CBS. Since then, Super Bowl ad prices have largely followed an upward trajectory. The cost for a 30-second spot surpassed $1 million in 1995 and reached $5 million by 2017, illustrating the escalating value advertisers place on Super Bowl airtime.
Most and Least Expensive Super Bowl Commercials: Extremes of the Spectrum
On the extreme high end, Amazon’s “Mind Reader” ad, aired during Super Bowl LVI in 2022, is considered the most expensive Super Bowl commercial ever produced. Featuring celebrity couple Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost, this 90-second spot reportedly cost $26 million to create.
Conversely, the cheapest Super Bowl ad on record is a commercial by the startup LifeMinders.com, which aired in 2000. Created by internal freelancers for under $5,000, this low-budget 30-second ad surprisingly drove 700,000 visitors to the company’s website in the week following the Super Bowl. Despite its initial success, LifeMinders.com appears to no longer be in operation, highlighting that even Super Bowl exposure doesn’t guarantee long-term business success.
Conclusion: The Super Bowl Advertising Gamble
In conclusion, the cost of a Super Bowl commercial is a substantial investment, reaching nearly $8 million for a 30-second spot in 2025. This high price reflects the Super Bowl’s unparalleled reach, cultural significance, and the intense competition among brands to capture the attention of a massive, engaged audience. While the cost is undeniably high, advertisers continue to see the Super Bowl as a valuable platform to build brand awareness, create cultural moments, and potentially generate significant returns, making it the advertising industry’s ultimate high-stakes gamble.
