Special Report
What a Super Bowl Commercial Cost the Year You Were Born
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The Super Bowl has always captured America’s attention. Since its inception in 1967, between 30% to 50% of all Americans have watched the big game each year. With such a large viewership, it’s not just the NFL’s biggest day — it is the Super Bowl for advertisers as well.
Major corporations shell out millions of dollars for just 30 seconds of air time, guaranteed to be watched by at least 100 million Americans and many millions more across the globe. The two most recent Super Bowls, held in 2017 and 2018, each reportedly commanded a $5 million price tag for a 30 second spot, according to Ad Age, a media company that reports on advertising.
Yet Super Bowl advertisements were not always this pricey. The average cost of an ad spot in Super Bowl I was just $40,000. Adjusted for inflation, that is still less than $300,000 — less than a 10th of the current price tag.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed historical costs of a 30-second commercial spot in all 52 Super Bowls to determine the cost of a Super Bowl commercial the year you were born. Data was provided by by Ad Age.
Click here to see what a Super Bowl Commercial cost the year you were born.
1967: Super Bowl I
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $40,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $300,000
> Matchup: Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
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1968: Super Bowl II
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $54,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $391,000
> Matchup: Green Bay Packers vs. Oakland Raiders
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1969: Super Bowl III
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $67,500
> Adjusted for inflation: $468,000
> Matchup: New York Jets vs. Baltimore Colts
1970: Super Bowl IV
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $78,200
> Adjusted for inflation: $510,000
> Matchup: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Minnesota Vikings
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1971: Super Bowl V
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $72,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $446,000
> Matchup: Baltimore Colts vs. Dallas Cowboys
1972: Super Bowl VI
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $86,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $516,000
> Matchup: Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins
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1973: Super Bowl VII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $103,500
> Adjusted for inflation: $599,000
> Matchup: Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Redskins
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1974: Super Bowl VIII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $107,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $566,000
> Matchup: Miami Dolphins vs. Minnesota Vikings
1975: Super Bowl IX
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $110,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $521,000
> Matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings
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1976: Super Bowl X
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $125,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $555,000
> Matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys
1977: Super Bowl XI
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $162,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $683,000
> Matchup: Oakland Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings
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1978: Super Bowl XII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $185,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $730,000
> Matchup: Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos
1979: Super Bowl XIII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $222,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $802,000
> Matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys
1980: Super Bowl XIV
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $275,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $872,000
> Matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Los Angeles Rams
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1981: Super Bowl XV
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $324,300
> Adjusted for inflation: $919,000
> Matchup: Oakland Raiders vs. Philadelphia Eagles
1982: Super Bowl XVI
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $345,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $902,000
> Matchup: San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
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1983: Super Bowl XVII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $400,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,009,000
> Matchup: Washington Redskins vs. Miami Dolphins
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1984: Super Bowl XVIII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $450,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,089,000
> Matchup: Los Angeles Raiders vs. Washington Redskins
1985: Super Bowl XIX
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $500,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,169,000
> Matchup: San Francisco 49ers vs. Miami Dolphins
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1986: Super Bowl XX
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $550,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,238,000
> Matchup: Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots
1987: Super Bowl XXI
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $575,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,275,000
> Matchup: New York Giants vs. Denver Broncos
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1988: Super Bowl XXII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $600,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,279,000
> Matchup: Washington Redskins vs. Denver Broncos
1989: Super Bowl XXIII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $675,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,375,000
> Matchup: San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
1990: Super Bowl XXIV
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $700,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,355,000
> Matchup: San Francisco 49ers vs. Denver Broncos
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1991: Super Bowl XXV
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $800,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,466,000
> Matchup: New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills
1992: Super Bowl XXVI
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $800,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,429,000
> Matchup: Washington Redskins vs. Buffalo Bills
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1993: Super Bowl XXVII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $850,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,470,000
> Matchup: Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills
1994: Super Bowl XXVIII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $900,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,518,000
> Matchup: Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills
1995: Super Bowl XXIX
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $1,150,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,887,000
> Matchup: San Francisco 49ers vs. San Diego Chargers
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1996: Super Bowl XXX
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $1,085,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,733,000
> Matchup: Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
1997: Super Bowl XXXI
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $1,200,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,860,000
> Matchup: Green Bay Packers vs. New England Patriots
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1998: Super Bowl XXXII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $1,292,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $1,972,000
> Matchup: Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers
1999: Super Bowl XXXIII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $1,600,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $2,402,000
> Matchup: Denver Broncos vs. Atlanta Falcons
2000: Super Bowl XXXIV
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $2,100,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $3,069,000
> Matchup: St. Louis Rams vs. Tennessee Titans
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2001: Super Bowl XXXV
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $2,200,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $3,099,000
> Matchup: Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Giants
2002: Super Bowl XXXVI
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $2,200,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $3,064,000
> Matchup: New England Patriots vs. St. Louis Rams
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2003: Super Bowl XXXVII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $2,150,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $2,919,000
> Matchup: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Oakland Raiders
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2004: Super Bowl XXXVIII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $2,302,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $3,066,000
> Matchup: New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers
2005: Super Bowl XXXIX
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $2,400,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $3,104,000
> Matchup: New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles
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2006: Super Bowl XL
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $2,500,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $3,110,000
> Matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Seattle Seahawks
2007: Super Bowl XLI
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $2,385,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $2,906,000
> Matchup: Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears
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2008: Super Bowl XLII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $2,700,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $3,155,000
> Matchup: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
2009: Super Bowl XLIII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $3,000,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $3,505,000
> Matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals
2010: Super Bowl XLIV
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $2,974,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $3,385,000
> Matchup: New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts
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2011: Super Bowl XLV
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $3,100,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $3,472,000
> Matchup: Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
2012: Super Bowl XLVI
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $3,500,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $3,809,000
> Matchup: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
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2013: Super Bowl XLVII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $4,000,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $4,285,000
> Matchup: Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers
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2014: Super Bowl XLVIII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $4,200,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $4,429,000
> Matchup: Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos
2015: Super Bowl XLIX
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $4,400,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $4,644,000
> Matchup: New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks
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2016: Super Bowl 50
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $4,800,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $4,998,000
> Matchup: Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers
2017: Super Bowl LI
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $5,050,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $5,130,000
> Matchup: New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons
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2018: Super Bowl LII
> Cost of a 30 second spot: $5,050,000
> Adjusted for inflation: $5,050,000
> Matchup: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots
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