Super Bowl LVI: Where Were All the Sportsbook Ads?

Caesars, DraftKings, & WynnBET were the only three sportsbooks to air commercials during the Super Bowl in the Washington, DC metro area.
Screenshots from the only three ads for US Sportsbooks to run during the Super Bowl XVI. Super bowl ads are a phenomenon of their own and it was surprising to see so few, granted a 30 second ad cost $7 million, according to NBC.
By
February 15, 2022

Only four ads for online sportsbooks aired in one of the largest media markets in the US during Super Bowl LVI, the biggest sporting event of the year.

NBC Universal, which owns NBC Sports Group, the network that aired the game on Sunday, said a 30-second commercial during the Big Game would cost a record $7 million. By that metric, Caesars Entertainment likely spent about $14 million to air one of its commercials twice, while DraftKings and WynnBET each spent $7 million to air one ad.

Those calculations are based on ads that aired in the Washington, DC market, the ninth-largest media market in the US. The market has about 2.6 million households and includes the District of Columbia, eight Maryland counties, two Pennsylvania counties, 23 jurisdictions in Virginia, and seven counties in West Virginia.

Caesars Sportsbook is active in all three states and DC, while DraftKings Sportsbook is live in Pennsylvania and Virginia but not the other jurisdictions. Virginia is one of nine states where WynnBET Sportsbook is live.

The Los Angeles Rams ultimately defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, winning their first NFL championship in the city. The team previously won Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000 when they were located in St. Louis.

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When the Super Bowl Sportsbook Ads Aired

The Rams scored the first points of the game in the first quarter and led 7-0 following a touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

During the ensuing commercial break, DraftKings Sportsbook aired its Million Dollar Free Bets Super Bowl ad, featuring actress Emily James as the “Goddess of Fortune” and football legend Joe Namath.

With about five minutes left in the second quarter and the Rams leading 13-10, Beckham went down with a knee injury and left the game. Caesars Sportsbook aired its Sit Down Dinner Super Bowl ad during the commercial break that followed. The spot shows Caesar and Cleopatra — played by comedian J.B. Smoove and actress Halle Berry, respectively — join Archie Manning and his sons, Cooper, Eli, and Peyton. Caesars ran the ad again during halftime.

No sportsbook ads aired during the third quarter, but a spot for WynnBET ran during the commercial break just before the start of the fourth quarter. The WynnBET ad featured actors Ben Affleck and Melvin Gregg, as well as former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal.

Super Bowl ads are a phenomenon independent of the game itself and usually attract large audiences — many of whom tune in just to watch the commercials. This year’s crop of ads targeted a variety of products and services, but two types of ads — for cryptocurrencies and electric vehicles — appeared to dominate.

Sportsbook ads didn’t seem to resonate with viewers, either. None of the three aforementioned spots made the list for best Super Bowl ads by Adweek, TechCrunch, People magazine, or NBC’s Today Show. However, The Athletic ranked the DraftKings Super Bowl ad at No. 12.

FanDuel Sportsbook also made a “Super Bowl-themed ad with actress Jennifer Coolidge as “Lady Luck, but the ad did not air during the game in the Washington, DC market.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling (VACPG) helpline at 1-888-532-3500

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