DETROIT — This year’s Super Bowl sees car manufacturers primarily taking a backseat in advertising due to uncertainty surrounding the U.S. vehicle market concerning sales, tariffs, and regulations.
Historically, car producers are significant ad buyers for the big event; however, they have shown fluctuating advertising during recent Super Bowls, with just a few releasing commercials annually.
“It’s indeed been declining,” stated Sean Muller, CEO of ad analytics firm iSpot. “Automakers are trimming their budgets, and that’s evidently visible. The Super Bowl serves as a solid indicator for all of this.”
In 2012, automakers represented 40% of Super Bowl advertising minutes, but this figure plummeted to 7% by 2025, based on data from iSpot. Only three car manufacturers are expected to run commercials, amounting to around two minutes, during this year’s event.
This decline aligns with turmoil within the automotive sector. This upheaval began in 2020 due to the pandemic and supply chain disruptions, with recent additional challenges from tariffs and reductions in all-electric vehicle initiatives costing companies billions.
General Motors, Toyota Motor and Volkswagen are the sole automakers anticipated to run ads this Sunday during Super Bowl 60, featuring the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.
The parent company of Chrysler, Stellantis, was the only automotive brand to advertise during last year’s Super Bowl, with two ads totaling three minutes.
“The most significant changes are happening between traditional and streaming plus digital video. This trend is evident across nearly every advertiser,” Muller noted.
Tim Mahoney, a veteran automotive marketing specialist, mentioned that navigating Super Bowl advertising is a delicate balancing act. A company needs to possess the right product, an effective advertising campaign, and, importantly, the funding to stand out and yield a return on investment.
“The Super Bowl presents an enormous platform, but the costs have escalated,” Mahoney, who has been associated with GM, VW, Subaru, and Porsche, explained to CNBC. “There are sometimes innovative methods to circumvent it. … Smart adjacencies can work.”
During Mahoney’s time, Subaru secured the presenting sponsorship of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl, and GM’s Chevrolet created a “blacked out” TV promotion just before the Super Bowl in 2015 for its in-car Wi-Fi.
Outside of the Super Bowl, auto manufacturers have ramped up sports advertising and are increasingly using streaming and local advertising rather than focusing on national outreach, as noted by iSpot.
“They’re not decreasing their investment in live sports,” Muller stated, referencing iSpot data indicating that automakers now comprise approximately 60% of the expenditure in live sports.
Car manufacturers stepping back
Automotive leaders who spoke with CNBC regarding the absence of advertising in this year’s Super Bowl expressed that prohibitive costs — $8 million on average for a 30-second ad — influenced their decision, believing their advertising resources would be more effectively allocated elsewhere.
“We plan to distribute our efforts, both in funding and creativity, throughout the year,” stated Stellantis Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Francois, famed for his past Super Bowl commercials. “There’s no necessity for a peak or prominent focus in February.”
Stellantis, currently undergoing a company transformation, will emphasize the 250th anniversary of the U.S. as its primary marketing initiative this year, along with increased business-driven expenditures and an eye-catching social media promotion for Jeep featuring a singing fish launched this week.
Nissan Motor, which last ran an ad during the Super Bowl in 2022, is also experimenting with concurrent advertising this year.
This Japan-based company unveiled a humorous, high-energy “Big Game” social media advertisement promoting a chips-and-dip holder specifically for its Nissan Rogue SUV. The “Nissan Dip Seat” commercial features chef and “The Bear” actor Matty Matheson endorsing the fictional item, while also announcing a sweepstakes for one of the vehicles.
“A key consideration for us was finding a more social approach. This aligns with our overall strategy for the year,” explained Nissan U.S. CMO Allyson Witherspoon to CNBC.
Witherspoon refrained from discussing the cost of the advertisement but confirmed it was less than what would have been spent on a traditional Super Bowl spot.
Others, including Honda Motor, are directing their advertising spending toward the Olympics. Honda is supporting U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes for the Winter Games in Milan this year and also targeting the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“The Super Bowl represents a singular moment. The Olympics encompasses numerous avenues to explore and share these narratives,” remarked Ed Beadle, who manages marketing for American Honda Motor.
The Winter Olympics commenced on Friday in Milan. It ushers in a month where Comcast’s NBCUniversal — which will broadcast the Olympics, Super Bowl, and NBA All-Star weekend — has branded the month “Legendary February.”
Advertisements for 2026
GM remains a wildcard for this year’s match, being the only automaker that has not prereleased its advertisement. The Detroit-based manufacturer plans to utilize the Super Bowl to unveil its Cadillac F1 team, including the first appearance of its initial livery car to a nationwide audience.
The manufacturer presented a design prototype of the vehicle in Detroit last month, including during the city’s auto exhibition, but has yet to disclose any information regarding the commercial.
Toyota, the NFL’s designated automotive partner, is expected to broadcast two 30-second spots focused on family connections.
One advertisement, titled “Superhero Belt,” depicts a grandson and grandfather exchanging roles through the years, encouraging each other to secure their seatbelts. The other features athletes like NFL wide receiver Puka Nacua encountering their younger counterparts.
Volkswagen’s advertisement revives the automaker’s iconic 1990s campaign for a new audience, as part of a promotional effort named “The Great Invitation: Drivers Wanted.”
This new initiative, including a 30-second Super Bowl commercial, showcases several of the automaker’s vehicles set to House of Pain’s 1992 classic “Jump Around.”
— Report contributed by Lillian Rizzo.
Disclosure: CNBC’s parent company Versant is carrying Olympic coverage produced by NBC Sports across its networks, including USA Network and CNBC.
