Nike has confirmed to ADWEEK that it will not air an ad during Super Bowl 60.
The move comes just one year after the brand ended its 27-year Super Bowl hiatus with “So Win,” a widely praised ad from Wieden+Kennedy Portland that championed women in sport.
At the time of publication, Nike did not provide additional comment on its decision to sit out this year’s Big Game.
The brand will still have a dominant presence on the field as the NFL’s exclusive supplier of uniforms, sideline, practice, and base-layer apparel for all 32 teams.
So win
Nike’s buzzy 2025 Super Bowl spot shone a spotlight on athletes, including WNBA star Caitlin Clark, WNBA champion A’ja Wilson, and Olympic sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, during a traditionally male-dominated moment.
The minute-long commercial was hailed as a creative triumph, helping Nike’s logo garner more screen time than any other brand during Super Bowl 59.
The Portland company’s decision to forgo an ad in the NBC 2026 broadcast – with prices coming in at $8 million for 30 seconds – comes as it orchestrates a turnaround plan focused on reversing years of sluggish sales and restoring its flagship brand.
As part of this, Nike, Inc. has been shifting from lifestyle marketing to performance wear through a new strategy called “Sport Offense.”
In December, just over a year into his role as chief executive (CEO), Elliott Hill told investors that Nike is “in the middle innings of our comeback,” with a marketing strategy focused on distinction within its key sports, such as running, training, and basketball.
So far, this has resulted in campaigns like “Too Easy,” a Jordan brand musical starring NBA and WNBA stars, as well as an overhaul of Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” slogan catered to young athletes.
The strategy is slowly starting to bear fruit, with group sales up 1% year-over-year to $12.4 billion.
