The Real Cost Of A Super Bowl Commercial In 2024 Is Unbelievable

Want to promote your product during Super Bowl 2024? You'll have to fork over some serious cash. 

With the new year in full swing, all eyes are on 2024's hottest events. While cinephiles are eating well with the upcoming 2024 Golden Globes, Emmys, and Oscars, sports fans will have to make do with Super Bowl LVIII. Scheduled for Sunday, February 11, the football match is set to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada. Most of us, however, will be watching the game at home on CBS or Paramount+, who bagged the airing and streaming rights for the NFL match. The media giant is paying $2.1 billion a year for the privilege of airing the must-watch game, as well as other games in rotation, per the Los Angeles Times. 

Watching the game on television means that, as always, most viewers will be subject to a variety of commercials. For many, the Super Bowl isn't just a sports event — it's a showcase of the best things capitalism has to offer. From celeb-filled adverts for alcohol to teasers for some of the year's biggest blockbusters, the Super Bowl always features viral and buzzworthy commercials. This year, The Hollywood Reporter says that CBS (and Paramount Global) are asking for $7 million for a 30-second spot. 

That hefty chunk of change isn't deterring advertisers, as a Paramount rep tells the outlet that inventory has "virtually sold out, pacing ahead of schedule." On average, the cost of advertising during the Super Bowl continues to rise. After all, the 2023 Super Bowl telecast got 115 million eyeballs on Fox, making it one of the most-watched television events in an era where traditional viewership is dropping.  

Thanks in part to inflation and overall demand, advertising during the Super Bowl has grown significantly throughout the years. What's interesting to note is that, while the United States (and every other country in the world) is dealing with significant inflation, the average cost for a 30-second ad this year is the same as last year: $7 million. Considering that inflation is at around 3.1%, it's actually cheaper for advertisers this year to promote their products during Super Bowl 2024. On average, however, Super Bowl advertising costs are dramatically rising, with 2024 serving as a stoppage of sorts. 

In 2022, an ad cost $6.5 million – $500,000 or 7.1% less than the payday asked by networks in 2023 and 2024. And just a year earlier, in 2021, a 30-second showcase cost advertisers like Budweiser and Disney $5.5 million. In just one year, the cost of ad time went up by $1 million. 2022 was a particularly significant year for advertisers, especially film studios, as it marked the first decent year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic when cinemas were operating on a normal, restriction-free basis. That year, we saw ads for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" and "Jurassic World: Dominion," two blockbusters that grossed over $375 million at the domestic box office. 

That year, several industries disrupted by COVID-19 went all-out to welcome customers, with travel companies like Expedia and Turkish Airlines promoting themselves with celeb endorsements from the likes of Ewan McGregor and Morgan Freeman. For many corporations, the price increases were justified, as the Super Bowl is one of the few events where millions of viewers are ready to willingly accept any sort of advertising. 

In 2023, Nielsen reported that, across all platforms, Fox's telecast drew in 115.1 million viewers. That number is significant as it makes Super Bowl 2023 one of the most-watched United States telecasts of all time, just behind the Apollo 11 moon landing. The 2023 game was the most-watched Super Bowl of all time, slightly ahead of Super Bowl 2015, which brought in over 114 million viewers. 

For advertisers, the Super Bowl is an important part of their marketing strategy, as it allows them to directly communicate with over 110 million official viewers. That average viewership, of course, doesn't account for the potentially millions of viewers who illegally torrent or stream the game. 

In the contemporary viewership landscape, the Super Bowl is the only major United States-based telecast that can bring in hundreds of millions of viewers. Long gone are the days of families and friends tuning in weekly to watch the latest episode of their favorite television series. With streaming now the new norm, advertisers have fewer opportunities to get all eyes on their products. Media investment firm Magna says that traditional media (i.e. television) is struggling, despite advertising revenue increasing. 

More companies are focusing on social media to advertise and traditional media brands recognize this. There's a reason why your favorite streaming service, like Max or Netflix, has introduced a lower-cost subscription service that features ads. Recently, Amazon's Prime Video made the controversial decision to incorporate ads into their service. Don't want ads? Subscribers will have to fork over an additional $2.99 a month to watch hits like "Reacher" and "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" ad-free.