With a dozen days until the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles square off at Super Bowl LIX, it’s Fox that looks like an early winner on February 9 in New Orleans.
The network has sold at least 10 30-second spots on Super Bowl Sunday for more than $8 million apiece, two people familiar with the matter have told Variety. DailyMail.com has reached out to Fox and Fox Sports spokespeople for confirmation.
The specific price tag for 30 seconds can vary depending on placement and other factors. But in an earnings call in November, CEO and Rupert Murdoch heir Lachlan Murdoch said ad space had sold out at ‘record pricing.’ Last year, a 30-second spot went for around a reported $7 million.
Demand for ad space was robust this year, said Mark Evans, executive vice president of ad sales for Fox Sports, with ad space selling out in November and a waitlist for marketers ready to take the space of anyone who pulled out.
The Super Bowl is a H๏τ ticket for advertisers because the live viewing audience is so large. Last year, an estimated 123.7 million viewers tuned into the game, according to Nielsen.
Evans said the mix of ad categories for the most part includes the usual suspects: beverages, snacks, tech companies and telcos. There will be a focus on AI in more commercials, he said, and slightly more pharmaceutical companies advertising this year.
Fox’s broadcast booth will consist of Kevin Burkhardt (left) and Tom Brady (right)
This image provided by Budweiser shows the company’s upcoming Super Bowl LIX spot
Lachlan Murdoch (seen with his father Rupert in 2018) has boasted of strong demand for ads
Read More Julian Edelman makes strong Tom Brady Super Bowl claim 
One category that’s down is movie promos and streamers. Another traditionally big category for the Super Bowl, automakers, are mainly sitting it out after a tough year in the sector, with only Stellantis’ Jeep and Ram brands having announced an appearance.
The California wildfires in January made the lead up to the game less predictable than usual. State Farm pulled out of its planned advertising to focus on the fires. And some other advertisers faced production delays. But Evans said accommodations were made wherever possible.
‘These are unique circumstances. … So we’re being as accommodating as possible to try to make sure that everybody can get done what they need to get done,’ he said. ‘But more importantly, you know, don’t put themselves or anybody else in harm’s way because of it.’
Advertisers are expected to begin releasing their ads in the days ahead of the game. One of the first ads to debut was an ad for Budweiser – which won’t air nationally but will air in some regional markets – featuring a Clydesdale foal that helps make a beer delivery .
Another Anheuser-Busch brand, Michelob Ultra, also released its ad , which shows Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara as pickleball hustlers.
Teasers have abounded this year, including one from Hellmann’s that hints of a reunion between Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal’s characters in ‘When Harry Met Sally,’ an Uber Eats teaser starring Charli XCX and Martha Stewart , and Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt touting Meta’s Smart Glᴀsses.
