Super Bowl Ads: Advertising’s Most Expensive Bargain

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A Distributor Channel Marketing Moment

Super Bowl Ads: 
Advertising’s Most Expensive Bargain
By Desiree Grace


What do celebrities, generative AI, and nostalgia all have in common? The Super Bowl.

You can expect all three on Super Bowl Sunday this February.

Super Bowl LX has sold all available advertising at an average cost of $7 million per 30-second spot. With last year’s viewership totaling 127.7 million viewers, that’s a lot of eyeballs. With consumer brands like Budweiser, Grubhub, Pringles, and Ritz on the advertiser list, you can also expect celebrity appearances from names like Sabrina Carpenter, Post Malone, and Peyton Manning. Rumor has it the Clydesdale horses will make an appearance, too.

So why all the hype?

Studies consistently show that people actually pay attention to Super Bowl commercials. They’re often controversial, funny, emotional, and occasionally ridiculous. That alone sets them apart from the average TV ad and makes them great fodder for watercooler conversations or Zoom pre-meeting chatter on Monday morning.

Consider the math. With 127.7 million viewers and a $7 million price tag, it's a mere five cents per contact. Pennies to capture attention on a massive scale. For brands with the budget and a desire to boost visibility and awareness, Super Bowl advertising still delivers.

At the same time, traditional TV advertising spend continues to decline. What’s often referred to as linear TV has shifted toward connected TV, AI-driven personalization, and performance-based, measurable outcomes. Streaming, cross-platform, and interactive “shoppable” ads are increasingly preferred for reaching specific target markets.

And yet, the Super Bowl remains advertising gold.

Beyond the low cost per contact, Super Bowl ads often go viral, dominate social media, and benefit from powerful network effects. The result is a surge of earned media, repeat views, and a positive feedback loop that increases brand engagement well beyond game day. Smart advertisers even offer post-game promotions and advertising campaigns designed to live long after the final whistle.

This is why Super Bowl advertising costs continue to rise. Even though traditional TV is no longer the advertising heavyweight it once was, it still packs big punch on Super Bowl Sunday.

Want your marketing dollars to work harder, on game day and beyond?

River Heights Consulting helps companies align strategy, spend, and execution so every campaign earns its keep.



About the Author

Desiree Grace is a marketing strategist with River Heights
Consulting, where she helps organizations cut through noise, evaluate ROI, and balance proven tactics with emerging channels. She believes great marketing isn’t about chasing trends, it’s about knowing when scale, timing, and attention actually matter.


TL;DR

Super Bowl ads are expensive, but the reach, attention, and viral afterlife still make them one of the most powerful brand-building plays in advertising.



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