How to Win the Super Bowl Ad Game without Spending Millions

$7 million dollars for 30-seconds.  $14M+ when you factor in matching commitments. 

That’s the average rate to advertise during this year’s Super Bowl on FOX; a new record. If you think brands would be hesitant to make the investment as most marketers pull back on spending, think again. This year’s game sold out months ago, back when the New York Jets were still considered serious contenders to be playing in the game. While that is laughable now, the ability to reach a guaranteed, massive live audience is serious business.

Year after year, The Super Bowl consistently ranks as the top television event in the U.S. Last year’s game was the most-watched program ever, averaging 123.4 million viewers.  In today’s fragmented media landscape, this broadcast stands out as one of the few events that can command unmatched audience attention and reach, and you can’t put a price on that. Well, technically you can; $7-$14 million. 

For Many Brands, The Super Bowl is Well Worth the Investment

The Super Bowl is no longer just for a few elite mega brands looking to increase awareness. Beyond the flashy highly-produced ads for new cars, new films, or new sugary caffeinated beverages, we’re seeing advertising investments being made by smaller companies across emerging industries that are looking to use the Super Bowl as a launching pad for their brand the rest of the year. These are often highly strategic omnichannel campaigns that go beyond awareness and are intended to help drive acquisition. 

For example, Tatari used machine learning and predictive intelligence to help freelance marketplace, Fiverr, secure the optimum timeslot for its first-ever Super Bowl ad. But that was just the beginning. The weeks following the big game are the most critical for lesser-known brands looking to convert a qualified audience. As part of our Super Bowl advertising playbook, we created a media plan to retarget viewers with additional TV ads across linear and streaming TV and optimize as much as possible post-Super Bowl, making the campaign worth the hefty price tag.

While most brands can’t justify the substantial investment on a 30-second ad spot, there are still a number of ways to get in on the game without breaking the bank. 

Streaming Has Become a Cost-Effective Super Bowl Advertising Strategy

For the first time ever, this year’s Super Bowl will be streamed at no cost on Fox’s free-ad-supported streaming TV platform, Tubi. That’s good news for cord-cutters that don’t have to rely on waiting for an invite to watch the game at a neighbor's house. It’s also great news for advertisers that want to get in on the Super Bowl frenzy at a much lower rate.

Fox’s Super Bowl ad load will be 100% linear pass-thru, meaning streaming viewers will see the same exact ads that linear viewers will see. But there will be a few digital-exclusive spots that will air nationally, replacing the linear local units. These ad slots are priced anywhere between 75-80% less than average linear rates that sold out months ago. They’ll also run everywhere that fans can stream the game, including FoxSports.com, the NFL app, and connected devices like Roku, AppleTV, Xbox, etc. With FOX estimating 8.5 million concurrent viewers for the digital in-game stream, this is a great way to be part of the biggest TV event of the year. By comparison, last year’s Super Bowl was the most streamed Super Bowl ever and helped Paramount+ gain the platform 3.2M new subscribers - and that was paid. 

With just a few weeks before kick-off, there’s still availability for in-game streaming-only units, and we can help get you in the game.

In addition, fans can tune into the “Tubi Red Carpet at Super Bowl LIX”, airing at 3:30 PM ET. This pre-game show will be a mix of celebrity interviews, video packages, and presumably fashion? While it’s yet to be seen if we’ll get critiques of Tom Brady’s wardrobe, this pre-game show represents an additional opportunity for brands to be part of the action without having to have a spot airing during the game.

Tubi’s pregame show is not the only opportunity to be part of the game this year.

TV Ad Opportunities Abound Before and After the Game 

The Super Bowl is no longer just about the game itself. The hype and buzz for the game begins hours before the first kick and extends long after the Lombardi Trophy is raised high in the air and the eventual MVP is stating their intention to go to Disney World (talk about sponsored advertising). The big game creates unique viewership patterns before and after the game that provide opportunities to buy high-profile inventory at a fraction of the cost of a national in-game spot. 

Pregame 

In recent years, viewership on sports networks significantly increased in the days before the game, and in particular on Super Bowl Sunday. While pregame coverage begins a week before the game, coverage intensifies the morning of the big game. The chart below shows a large increase in viewership on sports networks like ESPN and NFL Network in the same-day hours leading up to the game. 

Postgame 

Networks that host the Super Bowl typically see a big boost in viewership after the game. The networks often promote their post-game content throughout the game, and this contributes to an increased viewership of the non-sports content that follows, particularly the “Lead-out” program that lands immediately after the postgame show. This year, FOX will air Rob Lowe’s game show The Floor. This follows a trend of networks prioritizing unscripted shows in hopes to capture real-time viewership. FOX previously aired reality-based shows after hosting the Super Bowl in 2023 and 2020. 

The chart below shows the sustained high ratings for network programming following the conclusion of the previous two Super Bowls: 

Alternative Game Day Programming

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone is watching the Super Bowl. Many networks counter the big game with alternative content, from family-friendly movie marathons to niche reality shows, drawing in viewers who likely only know about The Kansas City Chiefs because of Taylor Swift. This creates a unique opportunity for advertisers who want to reach more niche audiences that are looking for alternative programming. 

As the chart below shows, children's networks like Disney and niche-focused channels like Lifetime and National Geographic experienced only slight drops in viewership, retaining most of their audience not interested in football. In contrast, networks like CNN saw a large drop, as the biggest news of the day tends to be the game itself.

Advertising during this competing programming allows brands to tap into a quieter, less competitive space, often at a fraction of the cost of Super Bowl spots. By focusing on these overlooked audiences, advertisers can stretch their budgets further and create meaningful connections with viewers who are actively engaging with anything that doesn’t have to do with touchdowns. 

The Local/Regional Playbook 

Local or regional ad spots can be an attractive alternative for advertisers who can’t afford the high cost of a national Super Bowl ad. This inventory typically tends to be less expensive, depending on the market. These spots can also be hyper-targeted to help brands reach one area of the country versus going wider. Additionally, local and regional ads can be purchased closer to the game than national spots, typically secured months in advance.

Many local networks air their own pregame and postgame programming, and these also represent opportunities for capitalizing on the halo of interest surrounding the Super Bowl. Rates for this programming vary considerably by market, with sub-$100k spots in some smaller markets and near-$1M spots in larger ones.

Football is TV’s Reigning MVP - All Year Long

There is no other advertising opportunity like the Super Bowl. It’s unique in every dimension: massive reach, instant caché, an unparalleled opportunity for brands - both large and small, to kick-off a campaign, launch a new product, and make an impact that can carry over to other channels for the remainder of the year.  

As we’ve demonstrated, there are several ways to get the benefits of the Super Bowl without having to spend millions of dollars.

For brands that are not able to run an ad during the game or on Super Bowl Sunday this year, don’t worry. Football presents a massive opportunity all season long. The NFL consistently delivers massive audiences across linear and streaming for just about every regular season game. In fact, 72 of the top 100 most-watched TV programs in 2024 belong to the NFL. That’s in a year with heavy competition from the Summer Olympics and a heated presidential campaign. There seems to be no stopping the explosive growth of the NFL. Before we know it, the NFL will be ready to kick-off its new season; will you be ready to be part of it with them?  We’ve got some tips to get you started on the road to next year’s Super Bowl right here.