By Katie Deighton
Viewers might feel like they saw more of actor Matthew McConaughey than Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the Super Bowl tonight.
Celebrities have dominated the Super Bowl ad breaks in recent years, and 2025 has been no different. Just 30% of ads featured some form of star power 10 years ago; that climbed to nearly 70% in 2020 and that proportion has remained the same ever since, according to data from ad-tracking firm iSpot.
Some previously commercial-friendly athletes have eased up on their acting parts.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, last year's star of game-day advertising, has been usurped in 2025 by the likes of Fox National Football League analyst Tom Brady-who appeared in commercials for Duracell, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism and Fox's IndyCar coverage-and Matthew McConaughey, who fronted pricey commercials for Uber Eats and Salesforce. Serena Williams, who has starred in no less than seven Super Bowl commercials since 2016, saved her appearance during this year's game for Kendrick Lamar's halftime show.
Super Bowl ad stalwarts David Beckham and Martha Stewart also made cameos throughout the broadcast alongside buzzy comedians Tim Robinson and Nate Bargatze.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid had a rough night against the Eagles, but he emerged as a winner in the ad breaks with appearances for Skechers and Pringles.
Celebrity appearances help advertisers get noticed and help them tap into the buzz on social media, advertising executives say.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 09, 2025 22:43 ET (03:43 GMT)
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