Free tool · Updated 8 October 2026

Super Bowl commercial cost by year.

What a 30-second Super Bowl ad has cost at every game since 1967: the price, adjusted for inflation, per second and per viewer. Every figure sourced, free to use.

LatestSuper Bowl LX · 8 February 2026 · NBC

A 30-second ad in the 2026 Super Bowl cost

$8,000,000

That’s $266,667 for every second on screen, or $63.69 to reach every 1,000 viewers.

Since the first Super Bowl, 1967 213× the price $37,500 then · still 21× after inflation
The price of a 30-second Super Bowl ad rose from $38K in 1967 to $8M in 2026. $38K · 1967 $8M · 2026 See every year

At Super Bowl LX prices, every second you spend on this page is worth $266,667 of airtime.

Every price since 1967

The price of a 30-second ad at every Super Bowl. Drag the slider or tap the chart to pick a game, or switch the view to see it after inflation, per second or per viewer. Games with ads in the directory

Price of a 30-second spot

Price of a 30-second spot, Super Bowl I (1967) to LX (2026): from $38K to $8M. $0$2M$4M$6M$8M$10M 197019801990200020102020

Super Bowl LV · 2021

$5,500,000

for 30 seconds · $7,004,912 in August 2026 dollars

A second
$183,333
Viewers
95.9 million
Per 1,000 viewers
$57.37
On
CBS
Game
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31–9 Kansas City Chiefs
Played
7 February 2021

Ads from this game in the directory

CBS sold spots for about $5.5 million during the pandemic, slightly below 2020's widely quoted $5.6 million. First Super Bowl to include out-of-home viewing, which Nielsen added to its national measurement in September 2020. Covers CBS and ESPN Deportes, including digital viewing credited to TV ratings. CBS's TV audience was first reported as about 92 million and later restated at 95.2 million after Nielsen fixed an out-of-home counting error; CBS's own total including streaming was 96.4 million, later restated at 99.7 million.

Sources: Variety, Reuters, Statista, Nielsen2, NBC Sports, The Athletic (The New York Times)

Who was watching

Nielsen’s average US audience for every game: the typical number of people watching at any moment, and so roughly how many saw each ad.

Record audience127.7 millionSuper Bowl LIX · 2025
Audience since 19672.5×51.2 million to 125.6 million
Price since 1967213×$37,500 to $8,000,000

Average US audience per game (Nielsen)

Average US audience per Super Bowl, 1967 to 2026: from 51.2 million to 125.6 million, with a record of 127.7 million in 2025. 050M100M150M 197019801990200020102020 Record · 127.7M

Note on how viewers were counted (hover for details)

What would your ad cost?

Pick a Super Bowl and an ad length to see the price, then and now. Or start from a budget and see how much airtime it buys.

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How long is the ad?

One 30-second ad in the 2026 Super Bowl cost

$8,000,000

In today’s money
$8,200,621
Per viewer
6.4¢ · 125.6 million watched
At 1967 prices
213 ads of 30 seconds

Networks negotiate every deal, and ads of other lengths are not always priced in proportion. The calculator uses each game’s 30-second price, per second.

The numbers behind the number

Computed from the table below.

  • 213×

    The price of a 30-second spot since Super Bowl I in 1967. After inflation, it is still 21× higher.

  • 1995

    The first million-dollar spot: $1,150,000 for 30 seconds of Super Bowl XXIX.

  • 9.5% a year

    The average yearly rise in the price since 1967, enough to double it about every 8 years. Consumer prices rose 4.0% a year over the same period.

  • $63.69

    To reach 1,000 viewers in 2026, up from 73.3¢ in 1967: audiences grew, but prices grew faster.

Every Super Bowl, every price

Select a column to sort, or a game to see it on the chart.

CSVJSON
DateNetwork
LX2026 8 February 2026 NBC $8,000,000 $8,200,621 125.6 million $63.69
LIX2025 9 February 2025 Fox $8,000,000 $8,398,593 127.7 million $62.64
LVIII2024 11 February 2024 CBS $7,000,000 $7,556,118 123.7 million $56.58
LVII2023 12 February 2023 Fox $7,000,000 $7,794,376 115.1 million $60.82
LVI2022 13 February 2022 NBC $6,500,000 $7,674,470 101.5 million $64.06
LV2021 7 February 2021 CBS $5,500,000 $7,004,912 95.9 million $57.37
LIV2020 2 February 2020 Fox $5,600,000 $7,251,827 102.1 million $54.86
LIII2019 3 February 2019 CBS $5,250,000 $6,957,326 99 million $53.06
LII2018 4 February 2018 NBC $5,235,000 $7,042,906 104 million $50.33
LI2017 5 February 2017 Fox $5,000,000 $6,875,531 112 million $44.65
502016 7 February 2016 CBS $4,800,000 $6,781,229 112.3 million $42.73
XLIX2015 1 February 2015 NBC $4,500,000 $6,422,108 114.8 million $39.20
XLVIII2014 2 February 2014 Fox $4,000,000 $5,707,106 112.8 million $35.48
XLVII2013 3 February 2013 CBS $3,800,000 $5,482,818 108.7 million $34.96
XLVI2012 5 February 2012 NBC $3,500,000 $5,149,849 111.3 million $31.43
XLV2011 6 February 2011 Fox $3,100,000 $4,692,254 111 million $27.92
XLIV2010 7 February 2010 CBS $2,950,000 $4,559,317 106.5 million $27.71
XLIII2009 1 February 2009 NBC $3,000,000 $4,735,971 98.7 million $30.39
XLII2008 3 February 2008 Fox $2,699,963 $4,272,383 97.4 million $27.71
XLI2007 4 February 2007 CBS $2,385,365 $3,926,553 93.2 million $25.60
XL2006 5 February 2006 ABC $2,500,000 $4,214,645 90.7 million $27.55
XXXIX2005 6 February 2005 Fox $2,400,000 $4,191,616 86.1 million $27.88
XXXVIII2004 1 February 2004 CBS $2,302,200 $4,141,734 89.8 million $25.64
XXXVII2003 26 January 2003 ABC $2,200,000 $4,055,894 88.6 million $24.82
XXXVI2002 3 February 2002 Fox $2,200,000 $4,144,859 86.8 million $25.35
XXXV2001 28 January 2001 CBS $2,200,000 $4,208,772 84.3 million $26.09
XXXIV2000 30 January 2000 ABC $2,100,000 $4,167,405 88.5 million $23.74
XXXIII1999 31 January 1999 Fox $1,600,000 $3,262,130 83.7 million $19.11
XXXII1998 25 January 1998 NBC $1,291,100 $2,676,316 90 million $14.35
XXXI1997 26 January 1997 Fox $1,200,000 $2,526,562 87.9 million $13.66
XXX1996 28 January 1996 NBC $1,085,000 $2,353,972 94.1 million $11.53
XXIX1995 29 January 1995 ABC $1,150,000 $2,563,054 83.4 million $13.79
XXVIII1994 30 January 1994 NBC $900,000 $2,062,120 90 million $10.00
XXVII1993 31 January 1993 NBC $850,000 $1,996,725 91 million $9.34
XXVI1992 26 January 1992 CBS $850,000 $2,061,789 79.6 million $10.68
XXV1991 27 January 1991 ABC $800,000 $1,990,966 79.5 million $10.06
XXIV1990 28 January 1990 CBS $700,400 $1,841,601 73.9 million $9.48
XXIII1989 22 January 1989 NBC $675,000 $1,867,147 81.6 million $8.27
XXII1988 31 January 1988 ABC $645,000 $1,867,434 80.1 million $8.05
XXI1987 25 January 1987 CBS $600,000 $1,807,446 87.2 million $6.88
XX1986 26 January 1986 NBC $550,000 $1,681,013 92.6 million $5.94
XIX1985 20 January 1985 ABC $525,000 $1,666,962 85.5 million $6.14
XVIII1984 22 January 1984 CBS $368,200 $1,210,399 77.6 million $4.74
XVII1983 30 January 1983 NBC $400,000 $1,370,061 81.8 million $4.89
XVI1982 24 January 1982 CBS $324,300 $1,152,004 85.2 million $3.80
XV1981 25 January 1981 NBC $275,000 $1,058,845 68.3 million $4.03
XIV1980 20 January 1980 CBS $222,000 $955,856 76.2 million $2.91
XIII1979 21 January 1979 NBC $185,000 $907,340 74.7 million $2.48
XII1978 15 January 1978 CBS $162,300 $869,876 78.9 million $2.06
XI1977 9 January 1977 NBC $125,000 $715,769 62 million $2.01
X1976 18 January 1976 CBS $110,000 $662,730 57.7 million $1.91
IX1975 12 January 1975 NBC $107,000 $687,963 56 million $1.91
VIII1974 13 January 1974 CBS $103,500 $744,001 51.7 million $2.00
VII1973 14 January 1973 NBC $88,100 $692,764 53.3 million $1.65
VI1972 16 January 1972 CBS $86,100 $701,746 56.6 million $1.52
V1971 17 January 1971 NBC $72,500 $610,202 46 million $1.57
IV1970 11 January 1970 CBS $78,200 $693,001 44.3 million $1.77
III1969 12 January 1969 NBC $55,000 $517,525 41.7 million $1.32
II1968 14 January 1968 CBS $54,500 $535,379 39.1 million $1.39
I1967 15 January 1967 CBS and NBC $37,500 $381,816 51.2 million 73.3¢

Questions people ask

How much does a Super Bowl commercial cost in 2026?

A 30-second commercial in Super Bowl LX (8 February 2026, on NBC) cost about $8,000,000. That is $266,667 for every second of airtime, or $63.69 for every 1,000 viewers. NBCUniversal said spots averaged about $8 million, with between five and ten selling for more than $10 million; some outlets headline the $10 million top price.

Sources: CNBC, Bloomberg

How much did a commercial cost at the first Super Bowl?

At Super Bowl I in 1967, a 30-second spot cost about $37,500, or $381,816 in August 2026 dollars.

Sources: Sports Business Journal2

How much has the price of a Super Bowl ad gone up?

From $37,500 in 1967 to $8,000,000 in 2026: 213× the price. Even after inflation, the price is 21× higher.

How much does a Super Bowl ad cost per viewer?

In 2026, reaching 1,000 viewers cost about $63.69 (125.6 million watched). In 1967 it cost 73.3¢. Audiences have grown, but prices have grown much faster.

How many people see a Super Bowl ad?

Nielsen measured an average US audience of 125.6 million for Super Bowl LX in 2026; the record is 127.7 million, for Super Bowl LIX in 2025. An ad’s own audience depends on when it airs, but the game’s average is the usual guide. Since 1967 the audience has grown 2.5×, while the price of a 30-second spot has grown 213×.

Sources: Nielsen

Who sells Super Bowl advertising time?

The television network that broadcasts the game sells the national commercial time during it; the NFL typically limits how many minutes of advertising the game carries. The league rotates the game among its broadcast partners as part of their wider NFL rights deals. Under the agreements covering the 2023 to 2033 seasons, CBS, Fox and NBC each have three Super Bowls and ABC, with ESPN, has two, the first in February 2027.

Sources: NFL.com, ESPN Press Room, CBS News / Associated Press, Ad Age

How are Super Bowl ad prices set?

The broadcaster sets an asking price, often called the rate card, and raises it when demand is strong; a Super Bowl spot reaches an unusually large audience, with Nielsen counting a record 127.7 million viewers for the 2025 game. Few advertisers simply pay the rate card. Spots are commonly sold in packages with other programming, and the price depends on where an ad runs in the game, how much time is bought and when. Prices tend to climb as the remaining spots run out.

Sources: Sports Business Journal, Kantar Media, CNBC, Variety, Nielsen

How early did the most recent Super Bowls sell out?

Months in advance. NBCUniversal announced on 3 September 2025 that all advertising for Super Bowl LX was sold, more than five months before the game and, it said, earlier than ever. Fox said in November 2024 that Super Bowl LIX was sold out, and Paramount said on 2 November 2023 that CBS's in-game inventory for Super Bowl LVIII was virtually sold out. That is a change from the mid-2010s, when NBC sold its last Super Bowl XLIX spots only four days before the 2015 game and CBS finished selling Super Bowl LIII on the day of the 2019 game.

Sources: NBCUniversal, CNBC, The Hollywood Reporter, CNN Money, Broadcasting & Cable

Did any Super Bowl LX ads sell for more than the average?

Yes. NBCUniversal said 30-second spots in the February 2026 game averaged about $8 million, but that between five and ten sold for more than $10 million each. Adweek reported that this was the first time a broadcaster had reached $10 million for a Super Bowl spot, and CNBC reported that advertisers who bought closer to the game paid more.

Sources: CNBC, Bloomberg, Adweek

Does the price of a Super Bowl ad include making the commercial?

No. The reported price buys only the airtime. Production, celebrity fees, music licensing and the marketing around an advert all cost extra. The New York Times reported in 2017 that brands might spend between a quarter of the airtime cost and the same amount again just on promoting their ads, and an industry executive quoted by Sports Business Journal in 2026 said production, talent and a supporting campaign can quickly take the total past $10 million.

Sources: The New York Times, Sports Business Journal, Variety

Why did Super Bowl I have two different ad prices?

The first game, in January 1967, was then called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game and was shown on both CBS and NBC, each of which sold its own commercials. CBS charged $42,500 for 30 seconds and NBC $37,500. Many histories quote NBC's lower price as the cost of the first Super Bowl ad.

Sources: Sports Business Journal2, Nielsen, Kantar

When did a Super Bowl ad first cost $1 million?

A full minute first cost $1 million at Super Bowl XIX in January 1985, when ABC charged that price and described it as the highest in television history; a 30-second spot cost $525,000. The average 30-second spot passed $1 million ten years later, in 1995, and $2 million in 2000.

Sources: UPI, Los Angeles Times, CBS News / Associated Press, Sports Business Journal

Have Super Bowl ad prices ever fallen?

Occasionally. The ad-tracking firm TNS Media Intelligence recorded a dip from $2.5 million in 2006 to just under $2.4 million in 2007, and during the recession it estimated CBS's 2010 prices at $2.5 million to $2.8 million, below the $3 million average NBC achieved in 2009. During the pandemic, CBS sought about $5.5 million for the 2021 game, slightly less than the $5.6 million Fox reached for 2020. The older Nielsen-based series also shows small dips, for example in 1971, 1984 and 1996.

Sources: CBS News / Associated Press, Variety, Bloomberg, Sports Business Journal

How much do networks earn from Super Bowl advertising?

Hundreds of millions of dollars, although networks seldom publish exact totals. Adweek reported that Fox took more than $800 million in advertising across Fox and Tubi for Super Bowl LIX in 2025, a record at the time, and that NBCUniversal said Super Bowl LX in 2026 set a new record without disclosing the figure.

Sources: Adweek2

Why aren't recent Super Bowl audience figures directly comparable with older ones?

Nielsen has gradually widened what it counts. Its historical table includes Spanish-language simulcasts from 2014, out-of-home viewing in places such as bars from the 2021 game and, for most recent games, streaming on services such as Paramount+, Tubi and Peacock. Super Bowl LX in 2026 was also the first measured with Nielsen's Big Data + Panel method. Figures from about 2020 onwards are therefore not strictly like-for-like with earlier decades.

Sources: Nielsen23

How the numbers work

Price. The price of a 30-second commercial in each game's broadcast. Up to 2009 it is the average estimated by Nielsen's ad-tracking service, Monitor-Plus, from the historical table published by TV By the Numbers; from 2010 it is the widely reported price, from the network, ad buyers or the ad-tracking firm Kantar Media, as cited by the sources listed for that year. Networks negotiate with each advertiser, so these are typical prices rather than what every brand paid. Where sources disagree, or the widely quoted figure is higher than the reported average, the note for that year gives both.

Today's dollars. Each price is adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, Bureau of Labor Statistics series CUUR0000SA0) for the month of the game, and shown in August 2026 dollars.

Viewers. Nielsen's average US audience for the game, from its table of every Super Bowl. Nielsen has widened what it counts over time, adding same-day recordings, Spanish-language simulcasts, out-of-home viewing and streaming, so later years count more of the audience than earlier ones. The note for each year flags these changes.

Per second and per 1,000 viewers. The 30-second price divided by 30, and by the audience in thousands. The calculator assumes other lengths cost the same per second, which networks do not guarantee.

What the price covers. Airtime only. Making the commercial costs extra.

Sources

  1. Historical Trend Of Super Bowl Ad Prices (Ad Age data)Sports Business Journal
  2. Cost Of 30-Second Super Bowl Ad Up From Last Year, Flat With '09 (historical table, 1967–2011)Sports Business Journal
  3. How much is a Super Bowl commercial and is it worth it?Kantar
  4. Super Bowl TV Ratings, 1967–2009 (ad cost data from Nielsen Monitor-Plus), archived copyTV By the Numbers (Zap2it), via the Internet Archive
  5. Super Bowl LX Delivers 125.6 Million Viewers (includes Nielsen's table of every Super Bowl audience)Nielsen
  6. The Origin of Super Bowl Ads—And How They Conquered the GameTIME
  7. Firms Split on Value of Bowl AdsLos Angeles Times
  8. ABC Braces for First Super Bowl CoverageUPI
  9. Super Bowl Ad Prices Dip, But Still PriceyCBS News / Associated Press
  10. Super Bowl TV Ad Sales Have Generated $1.72B Over The Last Decade (Kantar Media data, 2002–2011)Sports Business Journal
  11. Average cost of a 30-second Super Bowl TV commercial in the United States from 2002 to 2026Statista
  12. How much it costs to air a commercial during Super Bowl LIIICNBC
  13. CBS Sells Out Super BowlBroadcasting & Cable
  14. Super Bowl Ad Frenzy Stretches Far Beyond GameCBS News / Associated Press
  15. Super Bowl XLIV Ad Rates Falling For Only Second Time In HistorySports Business Journal
  16. Super Advertising Bowl: By the NumbersCNBC
  17. NBC Gets $4 Million for Super Bowl Ads, Sells Out InventoryBloomberg
  18. Super Bowl XLVI Commercials All Sold OutThe Hollywood Reporter
  19. CBS Sells Out Super Bowl InventoryAd Age
  20. Super Bowl ads selling for more than $4 millionCBS News
  21. Who Bought What in Super Bowl XLVIIIAd Age
  22. Fox: Super Bowl Ads Sold Out -- Want To Buy A Commercial? Too LateDeadline
  23. Fox Sells Out Super Bowl With Spots Going for $4.5MBroadcasting & Cable
  24. Days before kickoff, NBC sells out of Super Bowl ad spaceCNN Money
  25. NBC scores a record haul from Super Bowl ad salesLos Angeles Times
  26. NBCU Says Super Bowl Ads Are Sold OutVariety
  27. Upon further review, Fox sets viewer record for Super Bowl LVIINFL.com (Associated Press)
  28. Kantar: Super Bowl Ad Revenue Hit $370M in 2016Broadcasting & Cable
  29. $5 Million for a Super Bowl Ad. Another Million or More to Market the Ad.The New York Times
  30. Super Bowl 50: CBS Tackles Digital Audiences And Live-Streamed AdsVariety
  31. Despite overtime finish, NFL Super Bowl draws lower TV ratingsReuters
  32. Super Bowl Ads: Fox Wants To Push Price Of 30-Second Spot Past $5MVariety
  33. NBC Sports' coverage of Super Bowl LVI averages Total Audience Delivery of 112.3 million viewersNBC Sports
  34. 2018 Super Bowl advertising: By the numbersKantar
  35. NBC almost sold out on ads for Super BowlReuters
  36. Super Bowl Ad Prices Stall After Years of Relentless IncreasesBloomberg
  37. Super Bowl Ratings Up 1% From Last Year, With 102.1 Million Multiplatform ViewersAdweek
  38. Fox Sells Out Super Bowl Ads at as Much as $5.6 Million EachBloomberg
  39. Fox Says Ads For Super Bowl LIV Have Sold OutVariety
  40. Super Bowl LIV Draws Nearly 100 Million TV Viewers, 44 Million Social Media InteractionsNielsen
  41. Super Bowl LIV on FOX Draws Viewership of More Than 102 Million Across Television & Digital PlatformsFox Sports
  42. CBS Sells Out Super Bowl Ad Time Despite Big Brand DefectionsVariety
  43. Laugh, but not too hard: New Super Bowl advertisers keep it light in pandemicReuters
  44. Super Bowl LV Draws Nearly 92 Million TV ViewersNielsen
  45. Sports on TV: Why L.A.'s 26th-best Super Bowl rating is better than it looksThe Athletic (The New York Times)
  46. Super Bowl Ads Sold Out, Many at Record Prices as High as $7 MillionVariety
  47. NBCU Sells Out Super Bowl 56, With Spots Reaching $7 MillionAdweek
  48. Super Bowl LVI Draws More Than 101 Million TV ViewersNielsen
  49. How much do Super Bowl commercials cost for the 2024 broadcast?CBS News
  50. For Super Bowl ads this year, crypto is out, booze is inAssociated Press
  51. Super Bowl LVII totals more than 113 million viewers, ranks second most-watched game everNielsen
  52. 2024 Super Bowl Ads Sell Out for CBS Early at $7M for 30 SecondsThe Hollywood Reporter
  53. Campaign's 2024 Big Game barometer: everything you need to know about brands, agencies, creative and moreCampaign US
  54. Super Bowl LVIII Draws 123.7 Million Average Viewers, Largest TV Audience on RecordNielsen
  55. Super Bowl was the most-watched program ever in the US, averaging 123.7 million viewersAssociated Press
  56. Some 30-second Super Bowl commercials this year are selling for $8 millionCNN
  57. Fox Sees Some Super Bowl Ad Prices Surge Above $8 MillionVariety
  58. Super Bowl ads beckon up to $8 million apiece for FoxCNBC
  59. Fox Breaks $8M Barrier For A 30-Second Super Bowl AdDeadline
  60. Super Bowl ad prediction market contracts raise insider trading worryCNBC
  61. Super Bowl LIX Makes TV History With Over 127 Million ViewersNielsen
  62. Super Bowl Ad Rates Hit $10 Million for 30-Second Spot, NBC SaysBloomberg
  63. How NBCU Scored the First $10 Million Super Bowl AdsAdweek
  64. Super Bowl 2026 recap: Top ads, news from NFL's biggest gameCNBC
  65. Super Bowl LX Final Viewership Rises to 125.6 Million Viewers With Verified Big DataNielsen
  66. NFL completes long-term media distribution agreements through 2033 seasonNFL.com
  67. The Walt Disney Company, ESPN and National Football League Reach Landmark Long-Term AgreementESPN Press Room
  68. Super Bowl ad inflation pointing to $10 million a spot as soon as next yearSports Business Journal
  69. Kantar Media Reports Super Bowl Spending Reached $1.85 Billion Over The Past Ten YearsKantar Media
  70. NBCUniversal Marks Highest-Grossing NFL Season to Date With Sell-Out of Super Bowl LX Ahead of 20th Season of Sunday Night FootballNBCUniversal
  71. CBS Sells Out Commercial Inventory for Super BowlBroadcasting & Cable
  72. Super Bowl 60 Sets Ad Sales Record, According to NBCUAdweek
  73. NBCU Scores Super Bowl Ad Sellout, Highest Grossing NFL Season EverAdweek

The most legendary Super Bowl ads

The commercials people still talk about, from 1977 to 2023, and what their 30 seconds of airtime cost. Each opens the full story of why it worked in a new tab.

All Super Bowl ads