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

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 program, which includes 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.
For instance, after its 2025 creator flag football game drew 6 million viewers, YouTube is back hosting another pre-Super Bowl flag football game on Feb. 7, with key creators and stars such as Druski, J Balvin, and Cam Newton set to participate. Meanwhile, P&G’s Old Spice is the premier sponsor, showcasing a new campaign with custom integrations, graphics, ads, and live activations.
Though not the premier sponsor, other NFL advertisers are also included in packages around the creator game, according to Downey, which include mastheads that “basically give you the reach of a Super Bowl ad every day.”
Of course, the real play around YouTube is getting in with the creators, who can bring brands organically into the conversation with their subscribers. And for this year’s Big Game, YouTube has more creators than ever in town, with the company tapping into their programming niches and connecting them with advertisers.
“If we want to put someone around Druski or Jason Kelce, we know the packaging and the advertisers that are looking for those folks in particular,” Downey said. “And we really move that around how we think about matching creators to brands over time.”

And if you’re looking for Jason Kelce, you can also find him starring alongside his wife, Kylie Kelce, in YouTube TV’s pre-game ad, as the platform surrounds the Super Bowl itself. Meanwhile, though YouTube doesn’t technically have an ad in the game, its creators starring in ads for other brands will inevitably drive more traffic to the platform.
Moving forward into the upfront season, Downey noted that YouTube is looking to take its current strategies to new, more granular levels. For instance, YouTube is looking to leverage its sponsorships with more custom integrations and get advertisers closer to the content in more robust packages with creators who align with their brands. Meanwhile, the platform is also utilizing AI-powered campaigns to help brands find new customers and take a full-funnel approach.
Ultimately, it’s about bringing brands closer to content and having creators promote brand partnerships that align with their values, rather than just aligning with their checkbook.
“Sports matter to a lot of people. So if you’re embedded into it, and you’re part of the conversation, you’re part of that niche, you do better, and I think that’s what brands see,” Downey said. “They’re always going to do the reach, because you’ve got to have a certain amount of it, but deep community, authentic communication, and resonance with fans is what really matters.”
Bill Bradley is Adweek’s deputy TV, Media and Sports editor.
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