Al Root

Tesla stock was falling in early trading Monday after the Super Bowl.

Shares are trying to snap a three-day losing streak. Maybe a surprise Super Bowl appearance from one of Elon Musk's other companies can help.

Shares of the electric vehicle maker were down 1.4% in premarket trading at $356.61, while S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 0.4% and 0.3%, respectively.

Super Bowl ads are always highly anticipated and scrutinized. Tesla doesn't spend much -- if anything -- on traditional advertising. Ford and General Motors spend some $6 billion combined annually.

None of Tesla's cars were featured during the Super Bowl. Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX, however, showed up thanks to T Mobile.

The wireless provider is using SpaceX's space-based internet product Starlink to solve "wireless' biggest pain point -- mobile dead zones." Starlink will provide connectivity when no cellular network is available.

It's a coup for SpaceX. Starlink isn't a household name, and easily more than 100 million people hear it thanks to the commercial.

SpaceX is privately held. Current data is hard to come by, but at last count, Starlink has some 5 million subscribers and is profitable. Consumers and businesses can buy Starlink terminals for their homes or offices, getting high-speed internet access from space. The satellite-to-cell phone connection is a new product for SpaceX.

There is no significant financial connection between SpaceX and Tesla. Of course, Elon Musk runs both companies.

Occasionally, there is a more explicit rocket/car crossover. Sometimes, astronauts are transported to SpaceX rockets in Teslas on their way to the International Space Station. And a 2022 Super Bowl ad from Polestar took a shot at SpaceX in an EV ad, noting there was "no conquering Mars, no blah blah blah" with Polestar's cars.

SpaceX's ultimate goal is to make Mars habitable for humans.

Tesla stock might not get much of a reaction to the Super Bowl ad, but it's about as close as the company has ever been to the big game.

Tesla had a tough time this past week, dropping almost 11% as investors worried about Musk's political activities.

Write to Al Root at allen.root@dowjones.com

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February 10, 2025 04:42 ET (09:42 GMT)

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