The shocking truth about 2025 Super Bowl ad costs will blow your mind

Super Bowl ads are in a league of their own. In 2025, Fox shattered records, charging $7 million for a 30-second ad. Some top-tier spots sold for over $8 million, CNN confirmed. Brands like Pepsi, Uber Eats, and Anheuser-Busch snagged those prime slots early. This isn’t just TV anymore. It's an annual high-stakes showdown for cultural relevance, powered by massive exposure and even bigger budgets.

Lachlan Murdoch, Fox Corp. CEO, didn’t hold back in a call to investors last November: “Sorry to say, we are already sold out, and at record pricing.” Imagine breaking your own billion-dollar sales record and still sounding so casual.

$8 million Super Bowl commercials and how Fox cashed in like never before

Fox locked in 51 minutes of ad time for Super Bowl 59. That’s worth hundreds of millions. For brands, it’s like real estate on the most valuable street corner in the world—for 30 seconds. Peter Bray, founder of Bray & Co., didn’t mince words about it either: “In three years, it’s going to hit a billion dollars in ad sales. That has never before happened on the planet.”

Compare that to 1967 when Super Bowl I commercials went for $37,500 on NBC. It’s insane. The game’s viewership then? Nothing like today. Over 120 million people will tune in this Sunday. Fox even gets extra reach by streaming the game for free on Tubi.

Here’s why brands are dropping millions: it’s one of the last events where advertisers can reach a massive, unduplicated audience. TikTok ads might hit the same crowd that scrolls through Instagram, but the Super Bowl gathers everyone. It’s not just ads anymore—it’s a full-blown media event that floods timelines and watercooler chats the next day.

Ben Affleck’s $10 million Dunkin’ ad and other wild celebrity paychecks

Super Bowl commercials aren’t just expensive because of air time. Brands go all in with celebrities—and the paycheck numbers are wild. CNN confirmed Ben Affleck banked $10 million for his Dunkin’ ad last year. But Affleck didn’t just show up; he directed the commercial, produced it with Matt Damon, and got Dunkin’ to donate to his Eastern Congo Initiative.

Affleck’s back again for 2025. This time, he’s roped in his brother Casey Affleck and Succession star Jeremy Strong for another Dunkin’ ad. For other brands, hiring A-listers like Affleck is worth it. Humor, emotion, or iconic faces help brands stand out and, hopefully, go viral.

According to Bray, “Comedy can be a safe route for brands... You don’t want to divide your audience at all, so comedy makes sense. There’s more celebrities being used than ever.” Expect more ads packed with inside jokes and cultural references this year.

Celebrity appearances can range from $50,000 for a brief cameo to $2 million or more, depending on the fame level. And when a commercial hits the right emotional or comedic nerve, brands can dominate headlines and sales. Dunkin’, for instance, reported a record-breaking surge in donut sales the day after Affleck’s ad aired.

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