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How much does a Super Bowl ad cost in 2023?

Ads have never been more expensive during the big game.

By James Dator
/ new

Super Bowl commercials are big business, and business is good. A 30 second spot during the game this year is reaching record-highs for Fox, who is broadcasting the game.

Each 30 second commercial is costing companies $7 million for Super Bowl LVII, up from $6.5 million a year ago. In total the cost of running an ad during the game has doubled in the last 10 years, with a spot in 2012 costing $3.5 million.

This doesn’t necessarily mean every 30 seconds costs $7 million, however. When it comes to movie trailers (like the expected Fast X trailer coming in at a whopping four minutes) the cost operates on a sliding scale for time over 30 seconds. That said, it still costs an absolutely tremendous amount to advertise during the game.

The origins of wild Super Bowl advertising

Companies putting their biggest, most-important ads on during the Super Bowl is as old as the game itself. As the most-watched broadcast in the United States every year the phenomenon of major ad dollars dates back to 1967, but it’s generally accepted that the advent of specially-designed, high-budget ads began in 1970.

During the 1970 Super Bowl the auto brand Prestone ran an ad featuring Bears linebacker Dick Butkus who claimed he trusted Prestone because “plugging holes is my business.” Since then other brands moved to have celebrities in their ads, or moved to have ludicrously production values attached to their ads. This includes Coca-Cola’s iconic commercial with Mean Joe Greene in 1980, and Apple’s “Macintosh 1984,” which was directed by Ridley Scott.

What are some of the big ads this year?

***SPOILER ALERT: WE WILL BE INCLUDING INFORMATION ON THE UPCOMING ADS***

This year numerous ads will have big-name celebrities. Some of the ads are already available on YouTube, while others we only have information about. These include:

  • Adam Driver for SquareSpace
  • Maya Rudolph as the news spokescandy for M&Ms
  • Kevin Garnett in a new Sam Adams ad
  • Serena Williams for Michelob Ultra
  • Danny McBride in a new commercial for Downy
  • John Cena for Experian
  • Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston renewing their characters from Breaking Bad for PopCorners.

So, remember that the game might pause for commercials, but the entertainment doesn’t on Sunday.

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