The provocative Kendrick Lamar halftime aside, Super Bowl LIX was more than just a football game between two teams this year, it was an ad tech laboratory. From AD-ID’s measurement precision to CTV’s rising dominance, here’s what the data reveals about the evolving future of advertising.
Image source: EDO’s Super Bowl LIX Ad Ranker
The Super Bowl has always been the crown jewel of advertising—a cultural spectacle where brands spend millions for mere seconds of consumer attention.
But this year, Super Bowl LIX went beyond the splashy commercials to showcase a live experiment in how the ad ecosystem is shifting.
Armed with data from AD-ID, EDO, XR, Zappi, AdImpact, and expert insights from industry leaders like Amy Leifer of DIRECTV Advertising and Sarah Lewis of ShowHeroes, we dug into this masterclass outlining advertising’s next moves, from data-driven playbooks to creative gambles that either scored big or fumbled hard. This is how brands, platforms, and ad tech are rewriting the rules of engagement.
Where the Eyeballs Are, The Dollars Follow
The Fragmentation of Viewership and the Rise of Streaming
The Super Bowl has always been synonymous with linear TV’s dominance, but this year, CTV made a power play. From Tubi’s free live stream grabbing record attention to YouTube’s steady growth, viewers voted with their screens—they chose options and tuned in on their own terms.
- 49% of viewers streamed the game, up from 41.5% last year, reflecting the growing dominance of CTV platforms.
- Tubi’s free livestream marked a historic moment, capturing 18.7% of viewership.
- YouTube/YouTube TV accounted for 12.8%, while other streaming platforms captured 17.4%.
- Peak viewership hit 152.4 million at 8:16 PM ET, breaking previous records, with an average of 137.7 million viewers throughout the game.
The Super Bowl has transitioned from a sporting event to an omnichannel opportunity.
“The media landscape is at a tipping point, from linear to streaming, and sports is leading the charge,” said Sarah Lewis, Global Director of CTV at ShowHeroes.
But as audiences scatter, advertisers face a new challenge: How do you track engagement with precision in this fragmented landscape?
The Metrics Makeover
Why Measurement Is the New MVP
In an ecosystem where every impression counts, measurement has evolved from a post-campaign report card to an active strategic tool. This year, Super Bowl ads on FOX were tagged with AD-ID technology, marking a pivotal shift in tracking and optimizing Super Bowl ads in real time. By embedding unique identifiers into every ad, AD-ID gives brands unprecedented clarity on performance, helping them avoid waste, measure cross-platform effectiveness, and fine-tune creative with surgical precision.
Paired with AdImpact’s real-time analytics, this represents a new era where Super Bowl campaigns are data-driven plays. Together, they provide clarity into the effectiveness of Super Bowl ads:
- 48% of viewers reported changing their opinion about a brand because of a Super Bowl ad.
- 85% of U.S. adults planned to watch the game, with 62% tuning in as much for the ads as the game itself.
- Emotional resonance matters: 81% say ads that evoke emotion are more memorable than those focused on product features.
“Live events seem to drive a lot of attention for advertising and measurement,” said Nada Bradbury, CEO of AD-ID. “Creative ads coming into the system for the Super Bowl will have an AD-ID attached. It’s like a UPC code.”
AdImpact’s insights also highlighted viewership fluctuations minute-by-minute, showing how engagement peaks aligned with both game moments and high-impact ads. The precision of these metrics enables brands to optimize placements on the fly and gauge performance instantly.
But what exactly makes an ad effective beyond the metrics? Let’s talk creative.
From Celebs to Stories: The Creative Pivot
Authenticity, Humor, and the Decline of Star Power
If there was one clear message from this year’s Super Bowl ads, it was that flashy celebrities are no longer the secret sauce for brand success. The real star? Authentic storytelling backed by emotional resonance.
Zappi’s Best Ads of Super Bowl LIX analysis of top-performing ads revealed that emotional resonance was a strategic advantage. Ads that leaned into nostalgia, like Budweiser’s ‘First Delivery’ with its iconic Clydesdales, scored significantly higher on emotional impact and brand recall. Eighty-five percent of viewers could recall the brand unaided, and nearly half described feeling ‘love’ for the ad, a stark contrast to more celebrity-driven spots that fizzled after the initial flash.
Likewise, XR’s Creative Intelligence revealed fascinating shifts in Super Bowl ad strategies, where humor took center stage, celebrity cameos declined, and brands leaned into diverse representation and authentic narratives over big-name endorsements. This year’s winning ads were about how the ad makes you feel, who it reflects, and whether it sticks.
Meanwhile, EDO’s Super Bowl LIX Ad Ranker data further reinforces this creative pivot. The most engaging Super Bowl ads weren’t necessarily the flashiest but the ones that sparked immediate consumer action. Ads like T-Mobile’s ‘You’re Connected’ drove 12.6 times more online engagement than the average Super Bowl spot, while RAM’s ‘Drive Your Own Story’ generated 8.5 times more activity. The common thread? Relatable storytelling and practical relevance over pure star power.
- 85% of ads leaned into humor, up from 71% in 2023, reflecting a desire for light-hearted content.
- Celebrity cameos dropped from 77% (2023) to 54% (2025) as brands prioritized authentic storytelling.
- Representation trends: A 3x increase in talent with visual disabilities and a notable rise in ads featuring seniors.
XR’s Creative Intelligence uses the RX score to measure creative effectiveness across factors like representation, emotional impact, and engagement. This year’s RX score was 34% higher than the global average, signaling a shift toward more resonant, inclusive storytelling.
But even the most engaging story can fall flat without the right delivery mechanism. Enter innovative ad formats.
Beyond the 30-second Spot
Innovative Ad Formats and Interactive Experiences
The traditional 30-second spot may be iconic, but it’s no longer the only play in the advertising playbook. Brands are getting creative with formats designed to capture attention in new ways, both during the game and beyond.
- Pause Ads from DIRECTV are redefining non-intrusive engagement, with 150M pauses per month, half occurring during live content.
- QR Code Interactivity: ShowHeroes’ data reveals that 57% of users prefer ads with QR codes, driving direct engagement.
- Case in point: Coinbase’s 2022 Super Bowl ad saw over 20 million hits in one minute, thanks to a simple bouncing QR code.
While flashy gimmicks can drive short-term engagement, Zappi’s data shows that authenticity still wins in the long run. Ads that blended emotional storytelling with subtle interactive elements—like call-to-action overlays or shoppable content—saw stronger audience retention.
No longer confined to the traditional 30-second spot, advertisers are experimenting with formats that meet audiences where they are, whether that’s through interactive experiences, shoppable content, or dynamic placements baked into the streaming experience itself. As the playbook expands, so do the opportunities for brands to connect.
“There’s immense potential for brands in connected TV spaces, especially when interactivity is baked into the experience,” Lewis says.
“Brands are no longer shut out of the Super Bowl just because they can’t secure the traditional 30-second spot. Innovative formats like Pause Ads allow them to engage audiences in more meaningful, less intrusive ways,” adds Amy Leifer, Chief Advertising Sales Officer at DIRECTV Advertising.
But with great reach comes great responsibility. Not all attention is good attention.
When Ad Dollars Clash with Accountability
The Ethics of Advertising in a Polarized Landscape
Then there was the Kanye West controversy—an ad from his brand aired shortly after he made inflammatory public statements, sparking widespread backlash. In ad tech, attention immediately turned from Kanye to the ad ecosystem, which allowed it to happen.
“The ad ecosystem, like society, gives the loudest stage to the most dangerous voices,” shared GeoEdge’s Alisha Rosen on LinkedIn.
This incident highlighted the systemic issue of brand safety in programmatic environments. When ads are bought and placed through automation, the guardrails that once ensured brand alignment with content often disappear. Algorithms optimize for reach and cost-efficiency, not ethics. This raises a critical question for the entire industry: Who’s responsible when ad dollars flow without accountability?
In an ecosystem designed to prioritize scale and efficiency, the risk is that harmful content can slip through unchecked, making the need for intentional oversight more urgent than ever.
So, what does all of this mean for the future of advertising?
The Super Bowl Was Just the Beginning of the Future
Where Do We Go From Here?
Beyond the advertising spectacle, Super Bowl LIX has become a mirror reflecting where the industry stands and is headed. The rise of CTV and real-time data-driven measurement has made precision the name of the game while evolving creative strategies remind us that authenticity beats out flash. But, the playbook is still being written.
While the industry focuses on smarter targeting or punchier creative, let’s not forget the tensions between automation and accountability, innovation and integrity. The Super Bowl showed us that brands can’t afford to operate on autopilot—not when audiences are more fragmented, engaged, and outspoken than ever.
Brands looking to win need to make an impact that lasts beyond the final whistle and stands up to scrutiny long after the buzz fades. In this new era, every impression counts—and every decision does, too.
Download the data sources: