Millions of dollars for 30 seconds: This is how much a television commercial for Super Bowl 2026 costs

Brands are shelling out record amounts to get their ads on the Super Bowl 2026 broadcast. With a massive audience tuning in on TV and streaming, along with the halftime show drawing extra attention, companies see the game as one of the most valuable advertising opportunities of the year.

In 1967, a 30-second commercial cost about $37,500. Fast forward to today, and the price has skyrocketed into the millions. This year, the stakes are higher than ever.

• “Something hairy is coming” to Super Bowl LX

The price of a Super Bowl ad

According to AdWeek, a 30-second spot during Super Bowl 2026 will cost $8 million. Three sources confirmed to AdWeek that NBCUniversal is asking for $8 million per spot, along with a matching $8 million commitment across other major sports events, including NBA games and the 2026 Winter Olympics.

For comparison, a 30-second commercial in Super Bowl 2025 ran between $7 million and $8 million. In 2024 and 2023, prices hovered around $7 million, while in 2022 and 2021, the cost was $6.5 million and $5.5 million, respectively.

Celebrity-packed productions

The expense doesn’t stop at the air time. Brands also invest heavily in production, often creating multi-million-dollar commercials featuring celebrities and top athletes. This year’s roster includes Kendall Jenner, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Andy Cohen, Tim Robinson, Emma Stone, Spike Lee, Marshawn Lynch, iShowSpeed, Akshay Bhatia, Sky Brown, Kate Courtney, Sunny Choi, Michael Strahan, Cam Heyward, Christian McCaffrey, Issa Rae, Matthew McConaughey, and Bradley Cooper, among others.

“Super Bowl” is off-limits

Even with millions spent, advertisers cannot use the term “Super Bowl” in their commercials. The name is trademarked by the NFL, and only official sponsors have the exclusive right to use it in marketing materials. Any other brand must find creative ways to reference the event without directly naming it.

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