Super Bowl 2021: How Much Does a Super Bowl Ad Cost?

CBS had to wait slightly longer to fill this year’s Super Bowl ad space, but they were still able to receive a little more per slot than Fox did in 2020. In November of 2019, ad space for the 2020 Super Bowl was sold out. In November of 2020, CBS announced they had sold 75-80% of all available slots. Needless to say the uncertainty presented by the pandemic forced a number of large companies to sit tight. Each year, a number of ad slots are filled by the usual suspects- Mountain Dew, Snickers, etc.- they in return get a better deal than companies attending their first Super Bowl advertising rodeo. Last spring an unprecedented number of ad agreements were cancelled, which led to an increase in the number of Super Bowl ad slots sold at the premium price. When it was all said and done, the average price of a 30 second Super Bowl ad increased by 7% this year. Ads placed at the beginning and the end of commercial breaks are the most expensive. But the average price per ad slot this year rose from $5.25 million to $5.6 million in 2021.
 So, who are the new brands we can expect to see? I’ll give you a hint: none of them suffered as a result of lockdowns or quarantine. Available ad slots were claimed by recent additions like Chipotle, Door Dash, Vroom, Indeed, Fiverr, Scotts Miracle-Gro, and Hellman’s Mayonnaise. Scotts Miracle-Gro will remind you how old the movie Grease is, with John Travolta taking part in a TikTok with his daughter. Uber Eats global marketing VP said that the idea of a sentimental ad was an option but ultimately, they, “just thought that people really need to laugh, have a bit of humor and a reprieve from how serious this whole year has been.” If this is any indication, we are sure to get some laughs from the world’s biggest advertising creators on Sunday. 

Budweiser and Pepsi will not have slots this year. Budweiser stated they are focusing their advertising budget on COVID-19 vaccine education through Ad Council, while Pepsi is taking the hiatus to focus on their halftime show with The Weekend. If viewers are going to walk away remembering Pepsi, its likely to be a result of the 12 minutes at the halfway point of the game, not a 30 second commercial. If you’re usually a fan of their commercials, don’t fret. We will still get to see PepsiCo’s best creatives at work as Frito-Lay purchased 3 time slots. This looks like an indication that Tostitos, Cheetos, and Doritos have been there for Americans when they needed comfort the most. We also still have the opportunity to see what Anheuser Busch comes up with, as Bud Light and Michelob Ultra have purchased slots. The Super Bowl lineup has been shaken up a bit, but the injection of new creative blood will be sure to compliment some of our timeless favourites.


Despite an international pandemic, the price of a 30 second Super Bowl ad increased by 7% this year ($5.25 million → $5.6 million). Last spring, a number of large brands cancelled billions of dollars worth of ad commitments. This presented the opportunity for new brands to get in on the action (Chipotle, door dash, Vroom, Indeed, Fiverr, Scotts Miracle-Gro, Hellmans). Usually ad space for the Super Bowl is purchased up front, often in agreement for future spending in the same market. Many of these deals were cancelled so the ad space made it to the open market, which explains the 7% increase in cost per 30 second time slot. 

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