A 30-second Super Bowl commercial costs more than the Eagles' starting quarterback earned all season
- An 30-second Super Bowl commercial costs at least $5 million, according to Sports Illustrated.
- That's 5x more money than the Philadelphia Eagles' starting quarterback earned all season.
- NBC will air coverage of the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics in the same week, providing an attractive offer to advertisers.
Nick Foles will be getting plenty of screen time during Super Bowl LII as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, but he wouldn't be able to afford the cost of a commercial during the game even if he wanted to buy one.
At $5 million for a 30-second spot, according to Sports Illustrated, the cost is 5x Foles' base salary this season.
The 52nd Super Bowl will air on NBC on February 4 as the Eagles face the New England Patriots. In past years, ads have made almost as big an impression as the game or half-time show and plenty of people watch just for the comical commercials. Television viewership for the Super Bowl averaged more than 111 million people over the last five years, according to Nielsen.
Prices for TV spots have increased over time as more people tune into the game and companies realize the exposure potential - and it doesn't come cheap. Ads for last year's Super Bowl cost $5.02 million, according to the American Marketing Association.
Of the more than 100 players on the Super Bowl rosters, only 13 made at least $5 million in salary this season.
Dan Lovinger, executive vice president of ad sales for NBC Sports Group, has high hopes for the network on Super Bowl Sunday.
"We expect February 4 will set a record for single-day revenue generated by a single company," Lovinger said.
Highly anticipated commercials will come from perennial favorites like Coca-Cola and Budweiser. After a one-year hiatus from Super Bowl advertisements, Pepsi and Doritos are back for 2018.
The NFL has already rejected a print ad for the championship game program. The ad from AMVETS features the hashtag #PleaseStand, supposedly in reference to NFL players who have protested by kneeling during the national anthem.
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy released a statement regarding the ad's withdrawal, stating the Super Bowl "has never been a place for advertising that could be considered by some as a political statement."
NBC, CBS, and Fox rotate who airs the Super Bowl and NBC is up this year. NBC last aired the Super Bowl three years ago when the Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks.
NBC is also hosting the Winter Olympics this year and is taking advantage of the unique situation. The network's ad sales team has reportedly offered bundles for the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The network was able to sell a package deal to at least a few advertisers.
The last time a network aired both the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics consecutively was CBS in 1992.
Super Bowl LII is on Sunday, February 4 at 6:30 pm EST. Olympic coverage on NBC begins on February 9 with the opening ceremony.