With more consumers spending more time at home amid winter storms and Corona quarantines, the NFL hopes to see a reverse in declining ratings. As statisticians, we think even the changes in the world due to Covid won’t be enough to drive major gains in SuperBowl ratings: 
But even higher ratings won’t reverse the loss in revenue from big advertisers who pulled back:
- Avocados from Mexico was the first advertiser to pull out of the 2021 Super Bowl.
- Budweiser donated its Superbowl budget to the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative Vaccine Education Initiative, a public health communication campaign and additional efforts to support vaccine adoption efforts.
- Coke, a regular since 2006, pulled out stating ‘This difficult choice was made to ensure we are investing in the right resources during these unprecedented times.”
- Pepsi pulled back commercial units during this year’s Super Bowl. Instead, focusing on the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show. The company will still air ads for Mountain Dew and Frito-Lay, according to the AP.
- Also out are Facebook, Hyundai, Olay, Little Caesars, Sabra Hummus, and Ford.
With some of the old guard out, a new crop of advertisers is on the docket, including a heavy focus on apps and websites:
- Trading app Robinhood
- Freelance worker platform Fiverr
- Online food delivery company DoorDash
- Used car company Vroom
- Resale platform Mercari
- Gardening supplier Scotts Miracle-Gro
- Employment website Indeed
- Online betting company DraftKings
- Restaurant chain Chipotle
- Kimberly-Clark‘s Huggies
- Mayonnaise brand Hellman’s, owned by Unilever
So with all the new advertisers we still hold out hope that the commercial pods will bring some entertainment, even if ratings are down. GM is taking the opportunity to step into the limelight with their Will Ferrell Hates Norway campaign – which seems to have already sparked a Chicken Wars-style media battle.
GM’s Will Ferrell Super Bowl ad draws response from Ford (usatoday.com)
Post-Superbowl Update:
