NFL Thanksgiving ad prices surge 16% as football dominates media landscape

The news: Ad prices for Thanksgiving NFL games have risen 16% over last year.

• According to Guideline's Forward Bookings data, 30-second commercial spots during Thursday's NFL games will command an average of $1.45 million across NBC, Fox, and CBS—a 16% jump from last year, and roughly triple what advertisers paid for typical NFL games this season.
• The football fervor extends beyond Thursday, with weekend game spots selling for $576,000 per 30-second unit, an 11% increase from last year.
• College football is also seeing a boost across broadcast and cable networks, with 30-second spots 12% more expensive this year.

As Americans prepare for their traditional Thanksgiving football festivities, advertisers are making history with unprecedented investments in holiday sports programming. The stakes are particularly high given football's overwhelming media dominance; last year, NFL games accounted for 93 of the top 100 most-viewed US broadcasts, making them the most valuable advertising inventory in the country.

After last year's record-breaking Thanksgiving viewership of 34.1 million, it’s no wonder advertisers are betting big on 2024.

The NFL's appeal to streaming platforms is already clear: YouTube TV saw its memberships jump 50% after acquiring NFL Sunday Ticket rights, accumulating 35 billion hours of sports content viewership. Meanwhile, Netflix's recent entry into football programming has helped double its upfront ad sales, with NFL content being a major driver of advertiser interest.

The big picture: The numbers are staggering: US broadcast networks expect to generate $570 million in ad revenues during Thanksgiving weekend sports programming, reaching $624 million including cable coverage. Sports will represent 84% of all broadcast advertising dollars this weekend, with NFL games accounting for 69% of spending.

These figures, drawn from Guideline's data capturing ad agencies’ invoicing dollars, demonstrate both the enduring appeal of sports programming and advertisers' confidence in live sports to reach engaged holiday audiences.

Our take: As Americans gather around their TVs this Thanksgiving weekend, they'll be participating in one of the year's most significant advertising events, where brands are willing to pay premium prices to be part of the celebration.

It’s no wonder that 30-second Super Bowl spots are now going for $7 million.

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