Super Bowl 2019 Ads Cost $175,000 Per Second To Air

GettyImages-Superbowl ad rate — Fans celebrate the Philadelphia Eagles' victory in Super Bowl LII game against the New England Patriots on February 5, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

Come Sunday, Super Bowl LIII (53) will start luring almost 100 million TV viewers. Matching the event’s grandeur will be Super Bowl ads that vie for eyeballs in the mega event of the year. However, this year the Super Bowl LIII is being noted for the mind-boggling ad costs levied by the network host CBS.

While big brands Budweiser and Pepsi will throw millions of dollars for the ads in snatching attention from the television carnival, a whopping $5.25 million for a 30-second spot will sound jaw-dropping. This latest ad cost translates into per second cost of roughly $175,000.

The host will beam these costly ads during the championship match-up between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots.

For brands, there is no better marketing opportunity other than Super Bowl.

The rewards for advertising during the Super Bowl are humungous. The commercials are unique in many ways. The brands deploy celebrities, talking babies, animals, and use many tricks to get people talking.

Over the years, the airtime price of the average Super Bowl ad has doubled. In 2008, it was a measly $2.69 million for an average 30-second advertisement, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Ad price varies depending on the type of deals with CBS. Premium ads will cost more as they are aired early in the game.

Depending on the ad length and volume of ads purchased, the host network will be able to offer suitable packages. That can include complimentary slots in ancillary events around the Super Bowl.

Modest Beginning

When Super Bowl began in 1967 the ads costs were in the range of $37,500 to $42,500, Nielsen's data reminds.

The trend of ad costs going through the roof and touching millions started in 1995 when 30-second ads started selling for $1.15 million from the $900,000 charged in the previous year.

Ad Age data suggests the year 2000 was a watershed as it marked the biggest increase with costs jumping 31 percent after internet startups like Pets.com started splurging money during the dot-com era.

It is apparent that Super Bowl 2019 will have an average viewership of over 100 million people across the country. This is despite the decline of viewership projected by NFL's TV ratings.

Marketing of Super Bowl ads

For advertisers, the massive ad bill is not an issue. They rejoice in grabbing eyeballs even if it lasts mere seconds. But the brand exposure has no parallel as the largest television audience of the year is up for grabs. They are not deterred by the reality that paying over $5 million for a Super Bowl ad will only get them 30 seconds of attention.

Super Bowl advertisers are also adept in leveraging the short span Super Bowl ads. They push press releases in advance announcing their new ads weeks before the main game.

Millions of extra dollars go into the marketing of Super Bowl ads. The strategy pays off as Advertisers get massive online traffic seeking to watch sneak previews of Super Bowl ads on YouTube after the best Super Bowl ads get ranked.

Here is a bird’s eye view of the ads expected during Super Bowl LIII between the Patriots and Rams on Sunday.

· Amazon - Not Everything Makes The Cut

· Avocados from Mexico - Top Dog

· BON & VIV - The Pitch

· Bubly - Can I have a bublé? (Teaser)

· Budweiser - Wind Never Felt Better

· Bumble - #InHerCourt Anthem

· Burger King - Preppin' (Teaser)

· Colgate - The Close Talker

· Doritos - Chance the Rapper x Backstreet Boys

· Expensify - Expensify This

· Hyundai - The Elevator