The Super Bowl has long been considered the most valuable real estate in advertising. With tens of millions of viewers tuning in at the same time, brands see it as a rare chance to command national attention in a single moment. That kind of exposure, however, comes at an enormous price — one that has traditionally shut out all but the biggest advertisers.
That dynamic is beginning to change. Streaming-only Super Bowl ads give smaller brands a chance to appear at the big game, offering a more accessible way to tap into one of the largest cultural events of the year without the eye-watering costs of traditional TV spots.
How Streaming-Only Ads Are Changing the Game
This year’s Super Bowl 60 will air on Comcast’s NBC broadcast network, featuring a matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. At the same time, NBC’s streaming platform Peacock will simulcast the event, continuing a trend that has steadily gained momentum.
While most viewers still watch the Super Bowl through traditional television, the streaming audience is growing each year. That audience comes with its own set of ad placements — commercials that appear exclusively on the streaming feed and never air on broadcast TV.
According to Mark Marshall, NBC’s chairman of global advertising and partnerships, streaming-only ads account for roughly 10% of the total Super Bowl ad inventory. These spots typically cost about half as much as a standard television commercial.
“They’re cheaper, but still not cheap,” Marshall explained. “There are only a limited number of these placements, and once advertisers realized the value, interest surged. Streaming has performed extremely well, and now there’s a long line of brands that want in.”
A More Affordable National Stage
The cost difference matters. Super Bowl ad prices continue to set records year after year. NBC has already sold out its ad inventory for the game, with the average 30-second TV spot priced around $8 million. Several commercials reportedly sold for more than $10 million each.
Streaming-only ads, by contrast, occupy slots that would otherwise be reserved for regional commercials on broadcast television. Despite that, they still run nationally on Peacock, giving advertisers broad reach at a significantly lower cost.
This model has attracted brands that have never before advertised during the Super Bowl. Marshall noted that all of Peacock’s streaming-only advertisers this year are new to NBC’s Super Bowl lineup. Among them are Tecovas, a cowboy boots brand, and Life360, a family-focused location safety app.
Why Smaller Brands Are Buying In
For these companies, the appeal lies in balance — gaining Super Bowl visibility without overextending their budgets.
Tecovas Chief Marketing Officer Krista Dalton described the move as a strategic decision, saying the streaming debut allowed the brand to capture the impact of the Super Bowl in a highly engaged environment while maintaining financial discipline.
Life360 CMO Mike Zeman echoed that sentiment, explaining that streaming provides a way to experiment with Super Bowl advertising without overwhelming the company’s marketing spend. He said the platform helps the brand reach a large audience of modern, connected families while keeping the investment manageable.
Streaming’s Growing Influence
Last year, nearly 128 million people watched the Super Bowl across television and streaming platforms, according to Nielsen. NBC has offered a digital component for its last four Super Bowl broadcasts, but interest from advertisers has accelerated as Peacock’s subscriber base has grown to 44 million.
That growth has been fueled largely by live sports. In addition to the Super Bowl, NBC is airing the Winter Olympics and the NBA All-Star Game this month — a lineup the company is promoting as “Legendary February.”
Ad agency PMG’s Doug Paladino said the demand reflects strong performance from streaming sports placements, particularly during “Sunday Night Football” simulcasts on Peacock. Brands, he noted, value the audience targeting capabilities that streaming platforms provide.
A Stepping Stone to Bigger Buys
For emerging companies, streaming-only ads can serve as a testing ground. Last year, direct-to-consumer health startup Ro ran its first Super Bowl ad through Fox’s streaming service Tubi. The results exceeded expectations.
Philip Inghelbrecht, co-founder and CEO of ad tech firm Tatari, said Ro’s return on investment from streaming was dramatically higher than what brands typically see from traditional Super Bowl spots.
This year, Ro expanded its presence by purchasing a full broadcast ad on NBC, featuring tennis icon Serena Williams. According to Will Flaherty, Ro’s senior vice president of growth, the initial streaming buy helped the company understand how its creative performed in the Super Bowl environment before committing to a larger investment.
More Ways to Join the Spotlight
Streaming-only ads aren’t the only lower-cost entry point. Some brands opt for pregame placements, which are less coveted than in-game commercials but still deliver massive exposure.
Men’s grooming brand Manscaped chose a pre-kickoff spot to spotlight its expansion beyond its original product focus. Chief Marketing Officer Marcelo Kertesz said the timing made sense as the company enters a new phase and looks to communicate that evolution to a wider audience.
“The spot is just one part of the strategy,” Kertesz said. “It’s expensive, but it’s also a moment every brand aspires to reach at some point.”
As streaming continues to reshape how audiences watch live events, it’s also redefining who gets to advertise during them. For smaller and growing brands, the Super Bowl is no longer an impossible dream — it’s becoming an achievable milestone.
