The Super Bowl ad price is the most quoted number in advertising, and it’s almost always quoted wrong: as a raw dollar figure, compared across decades of inflation and with audiences that more than doubled.
So we did the arithmetic for every Super Bowl. For each game we took the reported price of a 30-second spot, adjusted it to 2025 dollars, and divided it by the average audience Nielsen measured. That gives the number an advertiser actually pays: the cost of reaching 1,000 viewers.
The short version
- The spot: $42,500 on CBS in 1967, about $410,000 in 2025 dollars. In 2026 it was reported at $8 million to $10 million, roughly a twentyfold real increase.
- The audience: 51.2 million (CBS and NBC combined) in 1967. The record is 127.7 million for Super Bowl LIX in 2025. Super Bowl LX drew 125.6 million in 2026, per Nielsen’s revised figure.
- The price per 1,000 viewers, in 2025 dollars: about $15 in 1967, around $10 to $25 until the mid-1990s, about $44 at the 2000 “dot-com” Super Bowl, a peak of about $72 in 2022, then down to about $60 in 2024 and 2025. That’s our calculation.
- Why it fell: from 2022 to 2025, audiences grew 29% (99.2 million to 127.7 million) while the real price of a spot grew only 5% to 12%.
The real cost of a viewer
Read the second chart as four eras.
- 1967–1980: cheap reach. The price per 1,000 viewers fell in real terms, from about $15 to a low of about $10 in 1978. The audience nearly tripled, and networks raised prices more slowly than it grew.
- 1981–1999: the premium builds. It doubled to the mid-$20s as the game became the year’s dominant TV event.
- 2000: the dot-com jump. The real price of a spot rose from about $3.1 million (1999) to $3.9 million (2000), and the price per 1,000 viewers jumped from about $37 to $44. It stayed in the $40s for most of the next decade.
- 2013–2022: the scarcity premium. As the rest of TV lost audience, the Super Bowl’s price per viewer climbed to about $72 in 2022, nearly five times its 1967 level.
Since then, record audiences have done what price cuts never did. Fox’s 2023 game drew 114.2 million, CBS’s 2024 game 120.2 million and Fox’s 2025 game 127.7 million. Nielsen’s numbers now include out-of-home and digital viewing, and Super Bowl LX was the first game Nielsen measured with its Big Data + Panel method. Part of the audience growth comes from measuring more viewing, not only from more viewers. Either way, an advertiser paid for the audience as measured.
Every Super Bowl: viewers, ad price, cost per viewer
| Super Bowl | Date | Network | Avg. viewers (millions) | 30-second ad | In 2025 dollars | Per 1,000 viewers (2025 $) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | January 15, 1967 | CBS / NBC | 51.2 (CBS 26.8, NBC 24.4) | $42,500 (CBS); $37,500 (NBC) | $0.41M | $15.33 (CBS) |
| II | January 14, 1968 | CBS | 39.1 | $54,500 | $0.50M | $12.89 |
| III | January 12, 1969 | NBC | 41.7 | $55,000 | $0.48M | $11.59 |
| IV | January 11, 1970 | CBS | 44.3 | $78,200 | $0.65M | $14.64 |
| V | January 17, 1971 | NBC | 46.0 | $72,500 | $0.58M | $12.52 |
| VI | January 16, 1972 | CBS | 56.6 | $86,100 | $0.66M | $11.71 |
| VII | January 14, 1973 | NBC | 53.3 | $88,100 | $0.64M | $11.97 |
| VIII | January 13, 1974 | CBS | 51.7 | $103,500 | $0.68M | $13.07 |
| IX | January 12, 1975 | NBC | 56.0 | $107,000 | $0.64M | $11.42 |
| X | January 18, 1976 | CBS | 57.7 | $110,000 | $0.62M | $10.78 |
| XI | January 9, 1977 | NBC | 62.0 | $125,000 | $0.66M | $10.70 |
| XII | January 15, 1978 | CBS | 78.9 | $162,300 | $0.80M | $10.15 |
| XIII | January 21, 1979 | NBC | 74.7 | $185,000 | $0.82M | $10.98 |
| XIV | January 20, 1980 | CBS | 76.2 | $222,000 | $0.87M | $11.38 |
| XV | January 25, 1981 | NBC | 68.3 | $275,000 | $0.97M | $14.26 |
| XVI | January 24, 1982 | CBS | 85.2 | $324,300 | $1.08M | $12.69 |
| XVII | January 30, 1983 | NBC | 81.8 | $400,000 | $1.29M | $15.82 |
| XVIII | January 22, 1984 | CBS | 77.6 | $368,200 | $1.14M | $14.69 |
| XIX | January 20, 1985 | ABC | 85.5 | $525,000 | $1.57M | $18.37 |
| XX | January 26, 1986 | NBC | 92.6 | $550,000 | $1.61M | $17.44 |
| XXI | January 25, 1987 | CBS | 87.2 | $600,000 | $1.70M | $19.50 |
| XXII | January 31, 1988 | ABC | 80.1 | $645,000 | $1.76M | $21.91 |
| XXIII | January 22, 1989 | NBC | 81.6 | $675,000 | $1.75M | $21.49 |
| XXIV | January 28, 1990 | CBS | 73.8 | $700,400 | $1.73M | $23.37 |
| XXV | January 27, 1991 | ABC | 79.5 | $800,000 | $1.89M | $23.79 |
| XXVI | January 26, 1992 | CBS | 79.6 | $850,000 | $1.95M | $24.51 |
| XXVII | January 31, 1993 | NBC | 91.0 | $850,000 | $1.89M | $20.82 |
| XXVIII | January 30, 1994 | NBC | 90.0 | $900,000 | $1.95M | $21.72 |
| XXIX | January 29, 1995 | ABC | 83.4 | $1,150,000 | $2.43M | $29.13 |
| XXX | January 28, 1996 | NBC | 94.1 | $1,085,000 | $2.23M | $23.67 |
| XXXI | January 26, 1997 | Fox | 87.9 | $1,200,000 | $2.41M | $27.39 |
| XXXII | January 25, 1998 | NBC | 90.0 | $1,291,100 | $2.55M | $28.33 |
| XXXIII | January 31, 1999 | Fox | 83.7 | $1,600,000 | $3.09M | $36.94 |
| XXXIV | January 30, 2000 | ABC | 88.5 | $2,100,000 | $3.93M | $44.38 |
| XXXV | January 28, 2001 | CBS | 84.3 | $2,200,000 | $4.00M | $47.44 |
| XXXVI | February 3, 2002 | Fox | 86.8 | $2,200,000 | $3.94M | $45.37 |
| XXXVII | January 26, 2003 | ABC | 88.6 | $2,200,000 | $3.85M | $43.43 |
| XXXVIII | February 1, 2004 | CBS | 89.8 | $2,302,200 | $3.92M | $43.69 |
| XXXIX | February 6, 2005 | Fox | 86.1 | $2,400,000 | $3.96M | $45.98 |
| XL | February 5, 2006 | ABC | 90.8 | $2,500,000 | $3.99M | $44.00 |
| XLI | February 4, 2007 | CBS | 93.2 | $2,385,365 | $3.70M | $39.75 |
| XLII | February 3, 2008 | Fox | 97.5 | $2,699,963 | $4.04M | $41.44 |
| XLIII | February 1, 2009 | NBC | 98.7 | $3,000,000 | $4.50M | $45.60 |
| XLIV | February 7, 2010 | CBS | 106.5 | $2,800,000 | $4.13M | $38.82 |
| XLV | February 6, 2011 | Fox | 111.0 | $2,948,649 | $4.22M | $38.01 |
| XLVI | February 5, 2012 | NBC | 111.3 | $3,442,752 | $4.83M | $43.36 |
| XLVII | February 3, 2013 | CBS | 108.7 | $3,765,130 | $5.20M | $47.88 |
| XLVIII | February 2, 2014 | Fox | 112.2 | $4,084,864 | $5.56M | $49.52 |
| XLIX | February 1, 2015 | NBC | 114.4 | $4,283,129 | $5.82M | $50.84 |
| 50 | February 7, 2016 | CBS | 111.9 | $4,800,000 | $6.44M | $57.56 |
| LI | February 5, 2017 | Fox | 111.3 | $5,399,873 | $7.09M | $63.71 |
| LII | February 4, 2018 | NBC | 103.5 | $5,235,379 | $6.71M | $64.88 |
| LIII | February 3, 2019 | CBS | 98.5 | $5,199,916 | $6.55M | $66.50 |
| LIV | February 2, 2020 | Fox | 101.3 | $5,400,000 | $6.72M | $66.29 |
| LV | February 7, 2021 | CBS | 95.2 | $5,500,000 | $6.53M | $68.64 |
| LVI | February 13, 2022 | NBC | 99.2 | $6,500,000 | $7.15M | $72.11 |
| LVII | February 12, 2023 | Fox | 114.2 | $7,000,000 | $7.40M | $64.76 |
| LVIII | February 11, 2024 | CBS (+ Nickelodeon simulcast) | 120.2 | $7,000,000 | $7.18M | $59.75 |
| LIX | February 9, 2025 | Fox | 127.7 | $7.5M–$8M | $7.5M–$8.0M | $59–$63 |
| LX | February 8, 2026 | NBC | 125.6 | $8M–$10M | $8.0M–$10.0M | $64–$80 |
Viewers are Nielsen’s average audience for the main broadcast network. Super Bowl I aired on both CBS and NBC, which sold their own spots, so its cost per viewer is calculated for CBS alone. Ad prices are as reported and compiled in Wikipedia’s Super Bowl ratings table, which cites Nielsen and trade reports. Recent prices are reported as ranges because networks negotiate them. Super Bowl LX viewers are Nielsen’s revised 125.6 million. The inflation adjustment uses annual average CPI-U (BLS via FRED) to 2025 dollars. 2026 is shown in current dollars.
The halftime show audience
Nielsen measures the halftime show separately. Since 2012 it has drawn a bigger average audience than the game around it every year except 2019. The four most-watched halftime shows, per Billboard and Nielsen as compiled in Wikipedia’s list of halftime shows:
| Rank | Headliner | Super Bowl | Halftime viewers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kendrick Lamar | LIX, 2025 | 133.5 million |
| 2 | Michael Jackson | XXVII, 1993 | 133.4 million |
| 3 | Usher | LVIII, 2024 | 129.3 million |
| 4 | Bad Bunny | LX, 2026 | 128.2 million |
Bad Bunny’s show averaged 128.2 million between 8:15 and 8:30 p.m. ET, per Nielsen. Its chart effect was immediate. “DTMF” went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week after the game (every Hot 100 No. 1 of 2026), and Debí Tirar Más Fotos returned to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (the No. 1 albums).
The NFL does not pay halftime headliners an appearance fee. It covers the production and the performers’ expenses. For an artist, the fee is the audience.
Method
- Sources. Nielsen average-audience figures and reported 30-second ad prices, as compiled with citations in Wikipedia’s Super Bowl television ratings table. The Super Bowl LX audience is taken directly from Nielsen’s revised release.
- Inflation. Annual average CPI-U to 2025 dollars, the same method as our inflation-adjusted touring list.
- Cost per 1,000 viewers = ad price ÷ (average viewers ÷ 1,000). This is a simple average-audience measure. It ignores which quarter an ad ran in, regional buys and the halftime audience.
- Ranges. Where a price was reported as a range, both ends are shown in the table and the low end is charted.
Last updated: October 28, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Super Bowl ad cost in 2026? A 30-second spot in Super Bowl LX on NBC (February 8, 2026) was reported at $8 million to $10 million, depending on the buyer and placement. Nielsen measured an average audience of 125.6 million viewers (revised from 124.9 million), so each 1,000 viewers cost roughly $64 to $80.
How much did the first Super Bowl ad cost? In Super Bowl I (January 15, 1967), which aired on both CBS and NBC, a 30-second ad cost $42,500 on CBS and $37,500 on NBC. The CBS price equals about $410,000 in 2025 dollars, or about $15 per 1,000 CBS viewers.
Are Super Bowl ads worth more now than in the past? They cost far more and reach more people, but the real price per viewer is not at a record. In 2025 dollars, the cost per 1,000 viewers peaked at about $72 in 2022, then fell to about $60 in 2024 and 2025 as audiences reached records of 120 million and 127.7 million. The 2026 range, about $64 to $80, puts the high end above the 2022 peak.
What was the most-watched Super Bowl? Super Bowl LIX (February 9, 2025, Fox) averaged 127.7 million viewers, per Nielsen, the most ever. Super Bowl LX (2026, NBC) averaged 125.6 million after Nielsen’s revision, the second-most. Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 halftime show is the most-watched halftime show at 133.5 million.
Do Super Bowl halftime performers get paid? Not an appearance fee. The NFL covers expenses for the performers and their crew and production, but the headliner is not paid a fee to perform.
