This year’s Super Bowl LX set the stage for a high-stakes battle among advertisers vying for America’s attention, and one brand emerged as an unmistakable presence in the broadcast.
Across the night’s commercial breaks, that advertiser stitched together a string of spots spanning multiple flagship labels, turning each airtime into a chapter of a larger campaign. The sheer volume and duration of its buys were hard to miss amid the usual flurry of celebrity-studded ads.
While other companies delivered memorable moments in 30- and 60-second bursts, this brand’s extended airtime and strategic placements hinted at a broader ambition to dominate not just viewers’ screens, but the cultural conversation.
Super Bowl LX advertising dominance: Who took the most airtime?
Anheuser-Busch emerged as the biggest advertiser of the 2026 Big Game, securing about 2.5 minutes of total commercial airtime across multiple commercial spots for its major beer brands, including Budweiser, Bud Light and Michelob Ultra.
The brewer’s strategy wasn’t just about buying one big ad, it was about creating a multi-brand presence that spanned several back-to-back commercial breaks. Budweiser’s spot celebrated its 150th anniversary and America’s own milestone year, blending cinematic storytelling with patriotic imagery.
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Meanwhile, Bud Light leaned into humor and party culture, and Michelob Ultra spotlighted active lifestyles and its Team USA Olympic sponsorship ambitions. Because the Super Bowl remains TV’s most watched annual event, advertisers pay a premium for each second of airtime.
What Anheuser-Busch’s Super Bowl LX ads were all about
Anheuser-Busch didn’t just buy lots of airtime at Super Bowl LX, it used that space to tell three very different brand stories under its beer portfolio. Each spot leaned into a distinct tone and theme, matching the wide audience of the Big Game broadcast.
Budweiser’s “American Icons” embraced nostalgia and heritage, celebrating the brand’s 150th anniversary alongside America’s 250th year. The 60-second spot follows a young Clydesdale foal forging a friendship with a bald eagle, set to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird”.
Bud Light’s “Keg” took a lighter, humor-driven tack. Featuring celebrities like Post Malone, Peyton Manning and Shane Gillis, the ad unfolds at a wedding where a Bud Light keg careens down a hill, prompting a chaotic, comedic chase. The spot ties into their party-centric brand identity with playful energy.
Michelob ULTRA’s commercial leaned into active lifestyle and competitive spirit rather than pure humor or heritage. Starring Kurt Russell as a ski instructor guiding a novice on snowy slopes, the ad blends storytelling with sport-oriented visuals and ties into their broader focus on fitness, social connection and its sponsorship of Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
