Super Bowl Scores Nearly $4 Million Per Spot

by Wayne Friedman , January 25, 2013

This year's average Super Bowl commercial price is expected to climb to about the same level as a year ago -- close to 10% -- with many commercials bought at $4 million for a 30-second commercial.

Average pricing for a 30-second commercial for this year's big football game on Feb. 3 on CBS featuring the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers will hit around $3.8 million, according to industry executives. Nielsen says Super Bowl pricing in 2012 on NBC was $3.4 million on average for a 30-second commercial, up around 9% or $300,000 from 2011.

Automotive commercials has been more dominant than ever. Nielsen says automotive was the top category, outspending beer category by nearly threefold in 2012: $90.5 million. (Auto was at a collective $23 million in 2008).

The beer category was a distant second place at $31.5 million in 2012. Movie marketers and soft drink advertisers came next, each at around $21 million. Next was general consumer advertisers at about $10 million.

Big auto brands last year included Dodge Ram, Acura, Audi, Chevy, and Fiat. Top beer brands included Budweiser and Bud Light.

The Super Bowl is a better platform for viewing commercials -- even messaging that has already aired on TV. Many Super Bowl commercials are typically new creative, produced especially for that day. Nielsen says last year’s Super Bowl ads were 34% "more memorable" and 42% "better-liked" than commercials that aired just a month earlier.

Last year’s Super Bowl XLVI pulled in another record for an individual TV show -- 111.3 million viewers.

advertising, football, super bowl

2 comments about "Super Bowl Scores Nearly $4 Million Per Spot".

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Jecob Martin from PGS, January 28, 2013 at 5:04 a.m.
Fantastic Ads. These Ads are getting more and more popularity every year. These Ads getting better and better. So brands who are putting their Ad in Super Bowl event have to make one of there best Ad and no doubt they will generate maximum revenue from here. See some best Ads here - http://www.gamedayads.com
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kevin lee from Didit / eMarketing Association / Giving Forward, January 28, 2013 at 7:50 a.m.

One thing Super Bowl ads force is creative excellence. Those ads are under higher scrutiny by consumers, press, and investors. Plus of course the cost itself means the creative had better be good. Many advertisers still don't live up to the opportunity, but many others do.