How YouTube Is Taking Super Bowl Ads Beyond a 30-Second Play

In a year when brands are shelling out $10 million for 30-second Super Bowl ads, the real key to winning the night isn’t just about being in the Big Game. It’s about surrounding it.

With over 40 billion hours of sports content consumed annually on YouTube globally, the platform, which regularly leads Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge with around 13% of the market, is increasingly becoming a key play for brands around live sports tentpoles, including Super Bowl Sunday.

By utilizing the platform, advertisers are building value beyond in-game ad units, according to Sean Downey, president, Americas and global partners, Google.

“For the Super Bowl, in particular, we’ve been really focused on having YouTube and creators surround the NFL and take advantage of that really huge cultural moment,” Downey told ADWEEK.

YouTube has made live sports a priority in its upfront conversations, with advertisers looking to align themselves with cultural moments and take advantage of the platform’s premier sponsorship offerings. According to Downey, some of those sponsorships are coming to fruition now around the Super Bowl.

For advertisers with a Big Game spot, Downey noted that YouTube’s AdBlitz, which acts as a hub for Super Bowl advertisements, can significantly extend a brand’s reach. The exec points to a Comscore AdBlitz Meta Analysis from the day of the Super Bowl, which shows that 45% of total unique viewers of AdBlitz participant campaigns saw an ad on YouTube only. And viewers are also increasingly watching those ads on the big screen.

“The viewership shifted on YouTube dramatically. There are over a billion hours watched annually in the living room, so they’re not just getting the reach of the game in the moment,” Downey said.

According to Downey, the platform’s strength lies in expanding reach and embedding brands with creators.