Dive Brief:
- Fox is poised to make half a billion dollars in Super Bowl ad revenue, according to MediaPost. The list of brands who have bought spots includes Bud Light, Busch beer, Kia, Skittles, Snickers, Honda, Audi and Febreze, according to the Super Bowl commercials website.
- Last year’s game generated $369.6 million in in-games ads, and another $75.4 million in pre- and post-game ads, with the $445 million total representing a 7% increase over the 2015 Super Bowl.
- According to Kantar Media, Fox is asking more than $5 million for 30-second spots. This is an increase from last year’s average of $4.8 million.
Dive Insight:
If Fox pulls off an increase over last year’s ad revenue haul it will be partly attributable to lure of the game as a cultural spectacle. Early in the season, the NFL faced notably lower ratings, an issue blamed on a host of reasons ranging from the presidential election taking up airspace and attention to viewer fatigue caused by a year-round NFL news cycle and a glut of sub-par games, particularly on Thursday Night Football. The viewership numbers have recovered somewhat as the season has progressed, but still had media analysts wondering if the NFL had peaked in building its audience.
Depending on the numbers that come out of this year’s Super Bowl, it might just be proven that the Super Bowl transcends football and the NFL brand. In previous years, it has been more of a cultural touchstone, something that can be seen in non-football fans throwing Super Bowl parties.
Super Bowl ads have also become a part of the attraction of the game, with many brands debuting splashy new spots during the game in past year. Viewer interest in Super Bowl ads extends to social media, where many provide commentary of their favorite and least-liked ads during the game.
