The Cincinnati Bengals will face the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI. The biggest sporting event of the year in the US is also the most coveted advertising opportunity. Despite rising ad prices, NBC has managed to sell out all of its advertising space for the game.
A 30-second commercial could cost upward of $6.5 million, with some sources citing $7 million. This marks a 20% increase from when NBC hosted the game in 2018. When CBS hosted the game last year, the highest recorded price for a commercial was $5.6 million. CBS brought in additional revenue by requesting companies pay an extra $300,000 to be featured on their live stream. It is estimated that around 80 to 90 commercials will run during any given Super Bowl, providing a huge stream of revenue for the broadcaster.
According to SuperBowl-ads.com, the price of running a commercial during Superbowl I in 1966 was $37,500. Ad costs have continued to gain traction each year as viewership grows and the prestige of placing an ad in the Superbowl has become a highly desirable marketing venture. Sporting News has provided a price history of 30-second ads over the years:
2000 $2,100,000
2001 $2,200,000
2002 $2,200,000
2003 $2,200,000
2004 $2,302,200
2005 $2,400,000
2006 $2,500,000
2007 $2,385,365
2008 $2,699,963
2009 $2,999,960
2010 $2,954,010
2011 $3,100,000
2012 $3,500,000
2013 $3,800,000
2014 $4,000,000
2015 $4,250,000
2016 $4,500,000
2017 $5,000,000
2018 $5,200,000
2019 $5,300,000
2020 $5,600,000
2021 $5,500,000
2022 $6,500,000