23% of the Super Bowl TV show this year was commercials

pulse

February 7, 2017 12:24 PM

This year's Super Bowl featured 51 minutes 20 seconds of ads — the second highest amount of ad time in the big game's history, according to data from Kantar Media

Anheuser-Busch InBev paid for the most ad time during this year's Super Bowl

Ads — which included a commercial break in the Super Bowl's first ever period of overtime — accounted 23% of the of the game's 3 hours 47 minute broadcast.

The record is held by Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, when 51 minutes 40 seconds of ads were shown.

However, Super Bowl LI did set a commercial record: If you set aside the unpaid promotional spots for broadcaster Fox and the NFL, the big game this year featured the most commercials from paying advertisers, at 41 minutes 30 seconds.

This year's top-spender was Anheuser-Busch InBev, which aired 3 minutes 30 seconds of ads.

The brewer promoted four brands in that time, with a immigration-themed spot for Budweiser (a divisive ad that caused some viewers to call for a boycott of the brand), an ad for Bud Light featuring its vintage mascot Spuds MacKenzie, a humorous commercial for Busch, and an ad for Michelob Ultra, set in a gym.

T-Mobile also purchased four ads — featuring celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart, and Kristen Schaal — racking up 3 minutes of Super Bowl ad time.

Broadcaster Fox reportedly charged advertisers upwards of $5 million for a 30-second spot in the Super Bowl this year.

The Super Bowl attracted 12 new advertisers this year — including 84 Lumber, Netflix, and Airbnb. But more than 40% of advertisers (18) who paid for slots in the big game last year did not return for this year's game.

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