Up to $12 million for the cost of a Super Bowl commercial?
That’s what Disney is reportedly asking for backup ads for the upcoming Super Bowl, according to Hollywood trade magazine Variety. The publication reported that the company is looking for between $10 million and $12 million per 30-second spot, plus a “match” of money for additional Disney ad inventory.
Disney, which is broadcasting Super Bowl LXI via ESPN, ABC and Disney+, said in August that all spots for the Super Bowl were sold out. But this latest news could indicate that Disney is trying to hedge its bets in case advertisers drop out before the game, which is scheduled for Feb. 14, 2027.
Per Variety, Disney is attempting to build “a list of advertisers trying to get in should someone
back out.”
“There’s such demand to be on the game that brands are willing, if they want to be on it bad enough, they’re willing to pay the price,” said Mark Gross, who has worked on Super Bowl ads as co-founder and co-CCO of Highdive Advertising. “There’s no other medium or show where you can get over 100 million people watching at the same time.”
Disney’s apparent attempt to sell potential ad space comes two years after State Farm dropped plans to air a commercial during Super Bowl LIX, citing complications due to the January 2025 California wildfires.
Brands can drop out for reasons far less dramatic than a natural disaster. Gross said marketing budgets can shift, executives may ultimately decide against participating, or a company may not be satisfied with the creative. “There’s so many levels at these companies … CEO down,” he said. “They have to get a lot of approval.”
Disney did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
How much does a Super Bowl commercial cost?
Regular 30-second commercials for Super Bowl LXI in 2027 reportedly sold for between $8.5 million and $9 million, while Disney is seeking $10 million to $12 million for backup inventory.
Some 30-second commercials for the 2026 Super Bowl reportedly sold for more than $10 million. If one of Disney's backup spots sells for $12 million, it could establish a new reported high for Super Bowl advertising. Earlier this year, NBCUniversal’s head of global advertising Mark Marshall told Bloomberg that some slots went for $10 million before the tilt between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
However, the current rates for already-sold Super Bowl LXI commercials don’t set any records; Disney previously asked for $10 million per spot, but dropped the final asking price to that $8.5-$9 million range after advertisers pushed back.
It’s worth noting that the recent record prices for Super Bowl commercials aren’t simply inflation. For instance, 1989’s $675,500 price would cost just $1.8 million in 2026 dollars, per inflation rates from the Minneapolis Fed.
Who buys Super Bowl commercials?
As Super Bowl ad prices have climbed, the overall makeup of the game’s commercials has shifted too, based on data from USA TODAY Ad Meter.
In the 1990s, alcohol and automotive brands each bought around 15% of Super Bowl ads. Entertainment ruled the 2000s, purchasing nearly 18% of all ads in that decade.
In the 2010s, automotive stormed back to buy nearly a quarter of all Super Bowl ad inventory.
More recently, however, brands in those categories have backed off.
Instead, food/snack and technology brands have made a push. Food/snack brands account for more than 12% of commercials so far this decade, while tech represented more than 18% of the 2026 field.
Financial brands have also gained steam and represent 11% of all ads so far this decade.
How many brands buy Super Bowl commercials?
Disney reported in August that 58 brands had purchased Super Bowl ad inventory. If that holds and aligns with how Ad Meter categorizes brands, it would be a record number by besting the previous high of 56, reached in 2017, 2020 and 2022.
That fits a wider trend — eight of the past 11 Super Bowls have had at least 50 unique brands running ads.
However, despite more brands grabbing Super Bowl ad inventory, there isn’t more space for them to buy. Instead, brands are purchasing fewer ads per Super Bowl.
In 1989, the average number of spots per brand was over 2. In 2026, the average was 1.06 as just three brands ran multiple ads: the NFL, Toyota and Oakley Meta glasses. PepsiCo and Anheuser-Busch also ran multiple ads in 2026, although under different brands: Pepsi, Lay’s and poppi for PepsiCo, while Anheuser-Busch had ads for Budweiser, Michelob Ultra and Bud Light.
Instead of buying a wide array of Super Bowl spots, some brands are using a single ad as the centerpiece of a wider campaign across the internet. For instance, Salesforce used its 2026 spot to launch a MrBeast-led $1 million puzzle hunt that continued through YouTube videos, social media, a dedicated website and a Slackbot.
This trend notably comes as the cost of securing a single ad has soared, giving brands more incentive to stretch their Super Bowl investment across digital and social channels.
“As the cost has gone up … brands are very conscious of the budgets and how much they’re spending,” Gross said. “We just take advantage of that pre- and post-[Super Bowl] because we want to stretch the dollars.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How much does a Super Bowl ad cost? Up to $12M for 2027 backups
