Super Bowl Ad Spots Sell for $8M Each on Fox
Fox Corp. has hit a major touchdown with Super Bowl 59, selling out all its ad slots months in advance and setting new pricing records. According to a source familiar with the matter, more than ten commercials sold for a staggering $8 million each, underscoring the enduring power of live sports in the advertising world.
A Record-Breaking Super Bowl for Fox
Fox had already announced during its November earnings call that it had sold out of ad spots for the big game, which airs on February 9. At that time, industry reports placed the average price per ad at over $7 million. However, as inventory dwindled, advertisers scrambled for the remaining slots, pushing prices up even further. The usual incremental increase of around $100,000 per ad in the final months before the game ballooned to an unprecedented $500,000 per spot this year.
Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch confirmed the record-setting demand during the earnings call, stating, “We’re sold out for the Super Bowl at record—what we believe is record pricing.”
The Power of Live Sports Advertising
Super Bowl ads have always been a goldmine for brands, but the competition for spots has intensified as live sports remain one of the few reliable ways to capture massive audiences in a fragmented media landscape. Last year’s Super Bowl, aired by CBS, Paramount+, and Univision, attracted an estimated 123.7 million viewers. The last time Fox hosted the event in 2023, more than 115 million people tuned in.
This consistent viewership has driven major media companies to invest heavily in NFL broadcast rights, recognizing the game’s unparalleled ability to draw consumers.
Mark Evans, Fox Sports’ Executive Vice President of Ad Sales, highlighted this trend, stating, “There’s an escalation in price and interest in the demand for live sports, but we’re not at its peak. We’ve still got runway for growth.”
Who’s Advertising This Year?
The usual heavy hitters—automakers, food and beverage giants, and restaurant chains—are back in the mix, with plenty of celebrity-driven spots. However, this year will also see a notable rise in ads from artificial intelligence and pharmaceutical companies, signaling shifts in industry focus. Meanwhile, streaming services and movie studios are cutting back on Super Bowl ad spend.
Additionally, multiple brands have invested in longer, high-impact storytelling, leading to an increase in 60-second commercials alongside the more common 15- and 30-second spots.
More Exposure for Advertisers on Tubi
Fox is offering advertisers even more visibility by airing the Super Bowl on its free, ad-supported streaming service, Tubi, for the first time. Tubi will carry the same ad load as the main broadcast, extending brands’ reach beyond traditional TV audiences.
With soaring demand and ever-rising prices, Fox’s Super Bowl 59 broadcast is proving once again why live sports remain the king of advertising.
