Fox has sold out all ad spots for Super Bowl 59, with over 10 commercials fetching a record $8 million each. The high demand reflects the enduring appeal of live sports, particularly the Super Bowl, for advertisers seeking a massive audience. While traditional sectors like automotive and food & beverage remain prominent, there's a notable increase in advertising from AI and pharmaceutical companies.
Fox has sold out of ad spots for the upcoming Super Bowl on Feb. 9, with more than 10 commercials selling for a record $8 million, according to a person familiar with the matter. Live sports, especially the Super Bowl , attract the biggest audiences, meaning advertisers continue to shell out for ad spots. While automakers and food and beverage companies will take up the bulk of air time, artificial intelligence and pharmaceutical companies took a bigger share of commercials this year.
The broadcaster has sold out of ad spots for Super Bowl 59 on Feb. 9, and more than 10 of those commercials sold for $8 million apiece, according to a person familiar with the matter. During its November earnings call with investors, Fox announced that it sold out of ad spots for the Super Bowl in the fall of 2024. At the time, 'We're sold out for the Super Bowl at record — what we believe a record pricing,' Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said on November's call. Much of the ad inventory for the Super Bowl was sold during Fox's Upfront presentation to investors last spring, and when it became clear that open spots were dwindling, the price of each unit stepped up, said the person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic matters. Typically, pricing for Super Bowl ads can escalate by about $100,000 as remaining inventory lessens and game day approaches. This year, the jump in price was closer to $500,000 per spot, the person said.The voracious appetite for commercial time during the country's biggest live sports event is no surprise, even if the pricing is eye-popping. Live sports continue to beckon the biggest audiences as the cable TV bundle shrinks, making the matches some of the most coveted programming on live TV for advertisers. In 2023, the last time the Super Bowl aired on Fox, more than 115 million viewers tuned in. These audience sizes are a key reason why media giants have shelled out hefty sums for the rights to NFL games. 'If I learned anything, it's that we're in a period now where the live sporting event, where people and families come together to watch, is that much more coveted,' said Mark Evans, executive vice president of ad sales for Fox Sports. '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.' Advertising spending for live sports has rebounded since its slump during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Traditional media companies with sports rights and tentpole live programming are benefiting the most, while advertising for general entertainment programming still lags in comparison. This year's Super Bowl, which will see the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs once again take on the Philadelphia Eagles, will have plenty of commercials from the typical players, including automakers, restaurants and food and beverage companies, with lots of familiar celebrity faces, said Evans. Viewers will notice an increase in ads from companies in the artificial intelligence and pharmaceutical industries, while there will be fewer commercials from streaming services and movie studios, he said. Evans noted that 'multiple advertisers have fallen in love with the creative,' adding there will be more 60-second ads in addition to the usually popular 15- and 30-second spots. Advertisers will also get a little more bang for their buck this year. In addition to broadcasting on Fox, the company is also offering the Super Bowl on its Fox streaming service, Fox Nation, and on Hulu, expanding the reach of the commercials to a wider audience.
Super Bowl Fox Advertising Live Sports Record Prices AI Pharmaceuticals
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Super Bowl Odds: Sportsbooks Breathe Easier After Lions Loss Erases Super Bowl LiabilitySportsbooks breathed a sigh of relief after the Detroit Lions were eliminated from the NFL playoffs on Saturday night.
Read more »
Super Bowl Odds: Chiefs Favored By 1.5 Points Over Eagles in Super Bowl 59The latest hypothetical odds if the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.
Read more »
Super Bowl Predictions: 5 Super Bowl 59 Bets to Make Right Now for Chiefs vs EaglesJason Logan breaks down the five best Super Bowl predictions to make right now including game totals, player props, and Super Bowl MVP.
Read more »
Federer's Wimbledon Racket Sells for a Fortune, Super Bowl Tickets SkyrocketRoger Federer's 2004 Wimbledon-winning racket is expected to fetch over $100,000 at auction, while Super Bowl LVIII tickets are priced at record highs, exceeding $7,500 for the cheapest seats.
Read more »
Tubi to Stream Super Bowl LIX Live in First for Fox-Owned PlatformFox Sports unveiled a 'takeover' of the Fox broadcast network and Tubi on Wednesday.
Read more »
Fox to Stream Super Bowl on Tubi for FreeFor the first time, Fox will offer a free live stream of the Super Bowl on Tubi, a popular free streaming service. This presents a significant opportunity for cord-cutters and streamers to enjoy the big game without a cable subscription.
Read more »