For Over 30 Years, Only 1 Company Could Advertise Alcohol During The Super Bowl
On the second Sunday of February every year, people across the nation are glued to their televisions to watch some highly anticipated commercials and a major musical performance. Oh yeah, and I guess there's a football game, too. Nowadays, fans can look forward to a variety of entertaining beer advertisements from several companies during the airing of the Super Bowl, but it wasn't until 2023 that this was even possible.
From 1989 to 2022, Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, and many other beer brands, held exclusive advertising rights for the Super Bowl. Those exclusive rights meant that no other alcohol company could advertise during the Super Bowl. Anheuser-Busch had a monopoly, and, despite releasing some of the worst Super Bowl beer commercials ever aired, it made the most of it. This is why it was such a surprise when Anheuser-Busch chose not to renew the exclusivity aspect of its agreement with the NFL in 2022. While the company does still advertise its beers during the Super Bowl, the decision to waive the exclusive rights left the door open for many of its competitors to snag a hallowed Super Bowl ad slot.
What's happened since Anheuser-Busch gave up its exclusive rights?
Unsurprisingly, alcohol companies like Molson Coors, Heineken, and Rémy Martin jumped at the chance to advertise during Super Bowl LVII, the first one that was affected by Anheuser-Busch's loss of exclusivity rights. Heineken, for example, chose to promote its non-alcoholic beer, Heineken 0.0, by featuring an ad starring actor Paul Rudd. Molson Coors announced its return to the Super Bowl in 2023 by producing and running the first Super Bowl ad that viewers could bet on.
Despite giving up its exclusive rights, Anheuser-Busch isn't losing out. During Super Bowl LIX, the company plans to run ads for Stella Artois, Bud Light, Budweiser, Busch Light, and Michelob Ultra for a total national airtime of three minutes. It is not known exactly how much this will cost Anheuser-Busch, but given that a 30-second Super Bowl ad slot cost $7 million in 2023, we can assume the final price tag will be significant.
With Anheuser-Busch eating up all that airtime, there is hardly any space for other beer brands to advertise at Super Bowl LIX. Molson Coors is the only other beer brand to have an ad slot, and the company is really going for it with its Coors Light brand. Coors Light is taking aim at the most Monday of Mondays (the day after the Super Bowl) with its 2025 Super Bowl commercial; Coors literally changed its name for the 2025 Super Bowl just so it could sell cases of "Monday Light." With creative ads like this, it is clear that the spirit of competition remains alive and well when it comes to the Super Bowl and its beer advertisers. Thanks, Anheuser-Busch.