How Much Does A Super Bowl Ad Cost In 2022?

The Super Bowl may be the only sporting event where fans pay just as much attention to the commercials as they do to the players on the field. Over the course of decades, it's become tradition to anxiously await Super Bowl ads. Whether it's 81-year-old Clara Peller angrily asking "Where's the beef?" for Wendy's, or beloved Betty White (above) getting tackled for a Snickers ad, or "Bud," Weis" and "Er" rhythmically croaking to put that beer earworm in your head — we all have our favorites. And when Super Bowl LVI airs on Sunday, February 13, with the Los Angeles Rams facing the Cincinnati Bengals, NBC is counting on just as many eyeballs glued to the screen for those 30-second ad spots to create those magical moments we'll all be talking about the next day.

According to Axios, NBC is anticipating a record number of viewers on Super Bowl Sunday after making some changes to the ways people can watch the extravaganza. And that, they say, will translate into big advertising bucks. The network says that for the first time all advertisers — more than 30 in all — will run their ads across television and streaming platforms, including Peacock. And, in another first, the Super Bowl will be televised on Telemundo, making it the first-ever Spanish language broadcast of the big game, and opening it up to a massive new advertising revenue stream. Even with the increased advertising opportunities, the Super Bowl ad spaces are sold out, per Variety.

Viewership for the NFL's regular season was up 10% from 2020, according to the NFL. That gives executives reason to anticipate a stronger viewership for this year's Super Bowl, which will result in record-high advertising prices. But exactly how much does a Super Bowl ad cost in 2022?

According to Fox Business, NBC is pulling in as much as $7 million for a 30-second spot. By comparison, the average 30-second commercial on television during primetime averages just over $100,000. Given last year's cost of up to $6 million per 30-second ad, the $7 million price tag in 2022 represents the biggest jump from year-to-year in recent Super Bowl history, per Sports Illustrated. For the first Super Bowl in 1967, a 30-second commercial cost $42,500 (about $336,500 in 2022 dollars) (via Yahoo! News), and it wasn't until 1995 that ads broke the $1 million threshold.

NBC says this year's Super Bowl commercials will return to lighter messaging than last year's pandemic-related ad campaigns. Frank's RedHot will try to distinguish itself with an "edible" NFT, DiGiorno is running a free pizza contest, and Guy Fieri (above) will pitch Bud Light Seltzer hard soda. "From what we've seen based on scripts, it's a return back to a more comedic tone, we think," said Dan Lovinger, who leads Olympics ad sales for NBCUniversal, per the Hollywood Reporter. "You're going to see a slightly lighter tone. And I think the country's ready for it."