Amidst great anticipation, Super Bowl LVIII reached its climax as the Kansas City Chiefs secured their second consecutive Super Bowl victory. This historic moment captured the attention of millions worldwide, marking another unforgettable chapter in the annals of NFL history.
While the Chiefs celebrated their triumph on the field, behind the scenes, another notable winner emerged: CBS. As the game unfolded, CBS capitalized on the immense viewership and advertising potential through Super Bowl LVIII advertising.
CBS profits greatly from Super Bowl LVIII advertising sales
While Patrick Mahomes celebrated his team’s victory on the field, CBS was likely tallying their earnings from advertising. The Super Bowl brought immense financial gains for CBS, with the network raking in nearly $700 million in commercial sales between regulation time and overtime of Super Bowl LVIII.
Super Bowl LVIII stands as the most watched telecast in history, boasting an average audience of 123.4 million viewers across all platforms. The surge in female viewership was particularly drawn by the Chiefs’ games and Taylor Swift’s association with Travis Kelce. Their relationship further amplified the event’s significance for CBS and presented a lucrative opportunity for revenue generation.
The advertising landscape for the Super Bowl has witnessed exponential growth in recent years. In 2022, the cost of a 30-second ad soared to $6.5 million, setting new records for advertising expenditure. Fox Corp. reported securing approximately $600 million in gross advertising revenue for Super Bowl LVII, which signaled a trend of escalating revenues for broadcasters.
For Super Bowl LVIII, the average cost of a 30-second ad was projected to reach $7 million. CBS amassed approximately $635 million in ad revenue during regulation time alone. However, their earnings did not stop there. When factoring in the overtime period, CBS’s total ad revenue for the game soared close to the $700 million mark.
CBS makes roughly $60M in overtime Super Bowl LVIII advertising sales
When Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s 29-yard field goal extended Sunday night’s game, CBS showcased its business acumen by swiftly turning the situation into a lucrative opportunity. The surge in commercial spots during overtime is estimated to have generated a $60 million premium in revenue for CBS, per Sportico.
It potentially breaks the Super Bowl record for most ad sales per unit time. In anticipation of possible additional commercial breaks or overtime, CBS had prepared extra advertisements.
The Chiefs’ history-making 14 minutes and 57 seconds in extra time during only the second overtime game in NFL history granted CBS a substantial window to broadcast 10 bonus ads. Among these, three were secured by GroupM. Several overtime ads were repetitions or modified versions of commercials aired earlier in the game, such as Verizon’s “BeyoncĂ© Breaks the Internet” ad.
CBS’ ad sales team, led by CBS Sports ad sales chief John Bogusz and NFL sales expert Tony Taranto, had already curated a full complement of spots for the bonus breaks. In the sole previous overtime game in Super Bowl history on Feb. 5, 2017, on Fox, only four additional ads were aired due to the quick scoring by the Patriots, owing to different playoff overtime rules at the time.
What’s your take on the financial windfall of CBS from the Super Bowl LVIII advertising?
