10 of the biggest Super Bowl ad spenders of all time
These companies have spent millions for access to Super Bowl audiences
FOX Business' Grady Timble says a 30-second advertisement for the Super Bowl can cost a reported $5.6 million.
The rate for a 30-second TV ad at this year’s Super Bowl is “north of $5 million” and can be as high as $5.6 million, according to Seth Winter – executive vice president of sports sales at FOX Sports. And some companies aren’t afraid to splurge a little to get access to an audience that’s over 100 million. In fact, FOX Sports was able to sell out of its “in-game inventory in the Super Bowl,” Winter said in an official statement Tuesday.
Though this isn’t surprising since businesses have invested in Super Bowl advertisements for decades, the rate in 2020 is notably higher than in previous years. For example, a half-minute Super Bowl commercial in 2008 sold for about $2.7 million – thus meaning the cost of a Super Bowl ad has spiked around 107.4 percent in the last 12 years.
Adland, an industry news and commercial archive site, has been keeping track of Super Bowl ad spending by each company and has compiled approximations of total expenditures. Data was not available for a few key years such as 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1977 and 1978. However, for the years that were trackable, spending has been adjusted for inflation via Ad Age.
It turns out that the biggest Super Bowl ad spenders are in the automobile, food and beverage industries. Here are 10 brands that have shelled out the most cash for football’s biggest night.
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10. Honda
The 2020 Honda CR-V hybrid is a compact SUV that's expected to get 50% better fuel economy than the standard CR-V. (Courtesy of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. via AP)
Number of Super Bowl ads: 30
Number of Super Bowls: 18
Super Bowl spending: $82.9 million
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9. FedEx
A FedEx truck in Fort Collins, Colo., with the driver making deliveries.
Number of Super Bowl ads: 31
Number of Super Bowls: 19
Super Bowl spending: $66.2 million
8. Miller
Cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller Coors Light are stacked next to each other in a Milwaukee liquor store. (AP Photo/Ivan Moreno, File)
Number of Super Bowl ads: 30
Number of Super Bowls: 25
Super Bowl spending: $38.9 million
7. Dodge
The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is the world’s first production car to lift the front wheels at launch.
Number of Super Bowl ads: 39
Number of Super Bowls: 18
Super Bowl spending: $85.2 million
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6. Toyota
The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime is a compact SUV that can drive about 39 miles on electricity alone and then switch to a gas engine that averages about 40 mpg. (Maground GmbH/Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. via AP)
Number of Super Bowl ads: 41
Number of Super Bowls: 21
Super Bowl spending: $146.0 million
5. Ford
The Ford 2021 Mustang Mach-E, an all-electric SUV. (Ford Motor Co. via AP)
Number of Super Bowl ads: 52
Number of Super Bowls: 23
Super Bowl spending: $109.8 million
4. McDonald’s
McDonald's sign above the fast-food restaurant. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Number of Super Bowl ads: 54
Number of Super Bowls: 26
Super Bowl spending: $108.9 million
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3. Coca-Cola
Bottles of Coca-Cola in Concord, N.H., Coca-Cola Co. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)
Number of Super Bowl ads: 51
Number of Super Bowls: 29
Super Bowl spending: $202.0 million
2. Pepsi
Cans of Pepsi are displayed at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen/File Photo)
Number of Super Bowl ads: 92
Number of Super Bowls: 34
Super Bowl spending: $289.5 million
1. Budweiser
Budweiser beer cans on ice at a concession stand at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Number of Super Bowl ads: 135
Number of Super Bowls: 53
Super Bowl spending: $449.5 million
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The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will face off at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for Super Bowl LIV.
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