This year's hottest Super Bowl ticket? Advertising space, Fox says

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NEW YORK (AP) — Get ready for an onslaught of ads full of celebrities, cute animals and snack brands during breaks in the action at Super Bowl 59 on Feb. 9, when the Philadelphia Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Anheuser-Busch, Meta, PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Taco Bell, Uber Eats and others will vie to win over the more than 120 million viewers expected to tune in for the broadcast on Fox and via the free livestream on Tubi.

Demand for ad space was robust this year, said Mark Evans, executive vice president of ad sales for Fox Sports, with ad space selling out in November and a waitlist for marketers ready to take the space of anyone who pulled out.

The high demand seems to have pushed prices to a record, with a few ad spots reportedly selling for a record $8 million and even $8 million-plus for 30 seconds. Fox declined to comment on the specific price tag for 30 seconds, which can vary depending on placement and other factors. But in an earnings call in November, CEO Lachlan Murdoch said ad space had sold out at “record pricing.” Last year, a 30-second spot went for around a reported $7 million.

The Super Bowl is a hot ticket for advertisers because the live viewing audience is so large. Last year, an estimated 123.7 million viewers tuned into the game, according to Nielsen.

Evans said the mix of ad categories for the most part includes the usual suspects: beverages, snacks, tech companies and telcos. There will be a focus on AI in more commercials, he said, and slightly more pharmaceutical companies advertising this year.

One category that's down is movie promos and streamers. Another traditionally big category for the Super Bowl, automakers, are mainly sitting it out after a tough year in the sector, with only Stellantis' Jeep and Ram brands having announced an appearance.

The California wildfires in January made the lead up to the game less predictable than usual. State Farm pulled out of its planned advertising to focus on the fires. And some other advertisers faced production delays. But Evans said accommodations were made wherever possible.

“These are unique circumstances. ... So we’re being as accommodating as possible to try to make sure that everybody can get done what they need to get done,” he said. “But more importantly, you know, don’t put themselves or anybody else in harm’s way because of it.”

Advertisers are expected to begin releasing their ads in the days ahead of the game. One of the first ads to debut was an ad for Budweiser, featuring a Clydesdale foal that helps make a beer delivery.

Another Anheuser-Busch brand, Michelob Ultra, also released its ad, which shows Willem Dafoe and Catherine O'Hara as pickleball hustlers.

Hellmann's ad brings Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal back together for a reprise of the Katz's Deli scene in “When Harry Met Sally.”

Teasers have abounded this year, from an Uber Eats teaser starring Charli XCX and Martha Stewart to Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt touting Meta’s Smart Glasses.