Who is in—and why many are out
General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen are the only brands paying for national spots on Sunday, when the Seattle Seahawks face the New England Patriots. GM is using the broadcast to unveil its Cadillac Formula 1 entry, displaying the team’s first livery to a broad U.S. audience. Toyota, the National Football League’s official automotive partner, will air two 30-second commercials that emphasize family connections and seat-belt safety, as well as feature professional athletes such as wide receiver Puka Nacua. Volkswagen’s lone 30-second piece revives its 1990s “Drivers Wanted” campaign under a new tagline, “The Great Invitation,” set to House of Pain’s 1992 track “Jump Around.”
Most rivals decided the investment was not justified. Stellantis, the parent of Chrysler, Jeep and Ram, purchased two Super Bowl ads last year totaling three minutes but will sit out this season. Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Francois said the company will instead spread its creative budget across 2026, concentrating on promotions tied to the 250th anniversary of the United States and on a social-media campaign for Jeep that features a singing fish. Nissan, which last appeared in the game in 2022, released a short online video ahead of the event to advertise a novelty chips-and-dip holder for the Rogue SUV, starring chef and actor Matty Matheson. Honda will direct its major spending to the Winter Olympics in Milan and the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, citing the opportunity to tell broader brand stories over a longer period.
Cost versus return on investment
The principal deterrent is price. A 30-second national commercial costs about $8 million, excluding production. While that figure guarantees exposure to one of television’s largest live audiences, marketers say it also heightens the risk that a single creative misstep could waste a sizable portion of an annual budget. Tim Mahoney, a veteran executive who has run marketing at GM, Volkswagen, Subaru and Porsche, described Super Bowl participation as a “balancing act” that only makes sense when a firm has a timely product launch, a cohesive creative idea and enough capital to amplify the message before and after game day.
Some manufacturers are exploring cheaper alternatives that still leverage the cultural spotlight. During Mahoney’s tenure at Subaru, the company became presenting sponsor of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl, a program that airs earlier on Super Bowl Sunday yet commands lower rates. Chevrolet once “blacked out” televisions for several seconds just prior to kickoff to promote in-vehicle Wi-Fi, gaining attention without paying full in-game pricing.
Shift toward streaming and regional buys
Automakers are not abandoning advertising altogether. iSpot data indicate they now account for roughly 60 percent of total ad spending on live sports programming, channeling dollars into the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and college athletics. They are also increasing regional placements and connected-TV campaigns that enable targeting by ZIP code, household income and vehicle ownership data. The strategy aligns with broader industry movement toward addressable media, where brands measure performance more directly than with a single mass-audience telecast.
Industry watchers note that the migration coincides with a slowdown in battery-electric vehicle momentum. Several manufacturers have postponed dedicated EV factories, reduced production targets or introduced hybrid models to hedge demand. These decisions have tightened marketing budgets at a moment when traditional broadcast costs are climbing. For context, research compiled by Statista shows the average price of a half-minute Super Bowl commercial has more than doubled since 2010.
Live-sports calendar intensifies competition
The 2026 Super Bowl caps a packed month for U.S. broadcasters. NBCUniversal, owned by Versant, is carrying the NFL championship, Winter Olympics coverage from Milan and the NBA All-Star Weekend, branding the lineup “Legendary February.” That concentration gives advertisers multiple high-profile slots to choose from, further diluting the necessity of any single event. Honda’s Ed Beadle, head of American marketing, said the Olympics offer “so many verticals” for storytelling across two weeks, an advantage a one-night telecast cannot match.
Despite the retrenchment, agency executives caution that the Super Bowl’s reach remains unique. The game consistently draws more than 100 million viewers, delivers immediate social-media amplification and often extends its cultural footprint for days through post-game talk shows and online reactions. For Volkswagen, a brand seeking to refresh its image after years of market erosion, the decision to appear this year provides a high-visibility relaunch platform. For GM, an established advertiser under pressure to diversify beyond traditional trucks and SUVs, the Cadillac F1 reveal aligns the company with global motorsport momentum.
Uncertain outlook for 2027
Whether additional automakers return next season will depend on several variables: federal emissions rules still in negotiation, potential adjustments to import tariffs, consumer response to incoming hybrid and plug-in models, and the cost trajectory of premium media. Muller of iSpot said the firm is tracking early ad-buy discussions and has not yet detected a rebound. “The dollars are still there,” he added, “but they are being distributed differently.”
For 2026, the message is clear: as the industry confronts volatile demand and massive product transitions, Super Bowl advertising is no longer a default line item. GM, Toyota and Volkswagen will test whether a condensed field can deliver heightened attention, while their absent competitors watch from the sidelines, reserving funds for what they consider more targeted, flexible or economical opportunities.
Crédito da imagem: Courtesy VW
