Key Takeaways

• The average price to air a 30-second commercial during the 2020 and 2021 Super Bowls was $5.6 million, up from $5.3 million in 2019, according to Statista.
• In contrast, the average price to air a 30-second commercial during the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics was $1.2 million, per Bloomberg.
• Although "NFL games accounted for 75 of the 100 most-watched broadcasts of 2021," the more recurring programming for Sunday and Thursday Night Football was priced substantially lower for a 30-second advertisement, at $811,679 and $635,439, respectively, according to Ad Age.
• Publicly, Hulu states that advertising packages with the leading streaming service start at $500 per campaign, however a confidential survey of ad buyers conducted by Business Insider in late 2021 found that Hulu prices its advertising packages at $23 to $30 CPMs.
• HBO Max currently has one of the most expensive pricing schemas for advertisers among the major streaming outlets, with commercial pricing at $45 to $55 CPMs, down from $60 to $70 CPMs, per Business Insider.

Introduction

I. Top-Level/Mainstream Programs

Super Bowl

• The average price to air a 30-second commercial during the 2020 and 2021 Super Bowls was $5.6 million, up from $5.3 million in 2019, as depicted further below by Statista.

 

Source

 

• The Super Bowl was the "most watched US TV broadcast of 2021," and is now being referred to as the "Crypto Bowl," owing to the number of cryptocurrency companies that are advertising their products/services during the annual event.

Olympics

• In contrast, the average price to air a 30-second commercial during the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics was $1.2 million, per Bloomberg.

• "10 Summer Olympics broadcasts" were among the most viewed in the US last year, however cryptocurrency participation in advertising appeared to be more limited to athlete sponsorships, and the like.

Sunday & Thursday Night Football

• Although "NFL games accounted for 75 of the 100 most-watched broadcasts of 2021," the more recurring programming for Sunday and Thursday Night Football was priced substantially lower for a 30-second advertisement, at $811,679 and $635,439, respectively, according to Ad Age.
• Meanwhile, Crypto.com's commercial with Matt Damon is a recent example of a cryptocurrency brand advertising during one of these football programs.

Other Top-Level/Mainstream Programs

• Including the above top-tier programs, the average cost to air a 30-second commercial during primetime national television in the US is $350,000 as of 2020, per TVA Media Group.
• While the following programs are not at the very apex of the most watched in the country, each of these programs commands significant fees for a 30-second advertising spot owing to their widespread popularity and viewership, according to Ad Age:
•  This Is Us: $317,981  
•  The Voice (Monday broadcast): $244,932 
•  The Voice (Tuesday broadcast): $225,361  
•  The Masked Singer: $234,702  
•  Grey's Anatomy: $206,799  
•  The Bachelorette: $191,824  
•  The Bachelor: $160,459  
•  American Idol: $154,219 .

II. Top-Level/Mainstream Outlets

Hulu

• Publicly, Hulu states that advertising packages with the leading streaming service start at $500 per campaign, however a confidential survey of ad buyers conducted by Business Insider in late 2021 found that Hulu prices its advertising packages at $23 to $30 CPMs.
• This is corroborated by separate reporting from Creative Humans, which determined in mid 2020 that Hulu commercials are priced at $20 to $40 CPMs.
• Notably, Hulu is broadly interested in engaging with the crypto space, not only through advertisers, but also as a core portion of its business.

HBO Max

• HBO Max currently has one of the most expensive pricing schemas for advertisers among the major streaming outlets, with commercial pricing at $45 to $55 CPMs, down from $60 to $70 CPMs, per Business Insider.

Amazon

• Amazon offers advertisers a significantly lower ad placement cost of $28 to $31 CPMs, adding that "120 million people watch its ad-supported video every month," according to Business Insider
• In a manner similar to Hulu, Amazon is embracing cryptocurrency within its organization, including as a form of payment to marketplace owners.

Peacock

• NBCUniversal's Peacock is only slightly behind HBO Max in terms of ad placement cost, with advertising prices at $40 to $45 CPMs, down from $50 CPMs at the time the platform was launched, per Business Insider.
• As a part of the larger NBC family, Peacock has had exposure to ad placements by cryptocurrency companies.

YouTube

• Data on the cost of YouTube advertisements varies, with Creative Humans stating that the platform is priced at $10 to $30 CPMs or $,2000 for 100,000 views, while WebFX reports that ads on the social media site cost "$0.10 to $0.30 per view or action."
• While LOCALiQ corroborates this per view/action pricing ($0.10 to $0.30), it suggests a much lower $4 to $10 CPMs for most advertisers.
• As in the case of several preceding video streaming platforms, YouTube is widely known for embracing cryptocurrency content.

Other Top-Level/Mainstream Outlets

• Meanwhile, several other of the "biggest streaming TV companies" typically offer slightly lower pricing for ad purchases, according to Business Insider:
•  Discovery+: $20 to $25 CPMs  
•  Pluto TV : $20 to $29 CPMs  
•  Roku: $18 to $30 CPMs 
•  Samsung: $23 to $32 CPMs 
•  Vizio: $28 to $32 CPMs 
•  LG: $28 to $32 CPMs.

Research Strategy