Super Bowl AdBlitz: Fans get more from the game (and the ads) on YouTube
Jan 25, 2024 – minute read
Super Bowl LVIII may be just around the corner but The Big Game isn’t only about the game itself. It’s about the conversations, the commentary, and — of course — the ads. Brands are gearing up to premiere their biggest ads of the year, ads that dominate the conversation and elevate the form, turning America’s living rooms into a mini short-film festival. And for 18 years, AdBlitz has been YouTube’s gateway into that world, for fans and for brands.
AdBlitz offers a central hub for fans to watch, rewatch, share, and discuss their favorite Super Bowl ads, both during and after the game. In fact, as viewership of mass-culture moments continues to fragment across TV, streaming, and digital video, YouTube is the only place you can watch every Super Bowl ad, all in one place.
According to Comscore’s analysis, 88% of adults ages 18–49 saw a 2023 Super Bowl ad on YouTube, compared to the 68% who watched on linear TV. Connected TV, specifically, is increasingly emerging as a major player — Comscore also found that 29% of adults ages 18–34 who only saw a 2023 Super Bowl ad on YouTube, saw it on CTV.
88% of adults ages 18–49 saw a 2023 Super Bowl ad on YouTube, compared to the 68% who watched on linear TV.
And it’s clear why fans flock to YouTube. After all, the biggest leagues, creators, and fan communities thrive on YouTube. From postgame analysis to behind-the-scenes action to game-day recipes and more, creators give fans near-infinite ways to immerse themselves in football culture. It’s no surprise the NFL is placing its bets on YouTube and its creators.
With watchtime for content on NFL’s YouTube channel reaching 1.6B views in 2022 and the addition of NFL Sunday Ticket in 2023, more and more football fans are choosing YouTube to get more out of the game.
It’s not just fans that get more, either: AdBlitz helps brands go bigger during advertising’s biggest moment. It’s where brands get more value out of their :30s spot, multiplying their reach and driving better results compared to the live broadcast alone. And with Google’s AI-powered ad solutions, brands can make the most of their hero Super Bowl creative to reach audiences across CTV, YouTube Shorts, and all the other formats where sports fans watch on YouTube.
Take FanDuel, which did exactly that for the 2023 Super Bowl. Looking to drive awareness of their new Sportsbook product, they needed a creative way to stand apart from the noise. So they tapped into AdBlitz and YouTube’s powerful AI tools to deliver a truly dynamic campaign.
Early in the football season, FanDuel launched Video Action Campaigns and mastheads and ran them continuously throughout the playoffs. Then, in the week leading up to the Super Bowl, it ran a heavy-up of both masthead and awareness auction media. This helped to build momentum and drive registrations and first-time deposits. All told, FanDuel drove over 1.1M lifted users throughout the playoffs leading into the 2023 Super Bowl.
We couldn’t be more excited for Super Bowl LVIII. To get into the game-day spirit, you can check out some of the first of this year’s teasers and commercials on the AdBlitz channel, including Amazon, Taco Bell and Totino’s. Also, of course, watch a few winners from last year’s AdBlitz contest, which highlights the most-viewed ads from the launch of AdBlitz to the week after the Super Bowl, including: