In this post-monoculture era when few people watch the same TV shows, the Super Bowl remains one of the few unifying TV broadcasts each year, drawing millions for the game but also some viewers who are more interested in the TV commercials.
Northwestern University’s Medill Spiegel Research Center found in its January 2026 Prosper Insights Analytics survey that while 33.5% of viewers tune in for the game and 17% watch for the halftime show, 14% watch primarily for the TV ads.
As has become the custom in recent years, many of those ads (or teasers for the ads) are already available online.
Forbes already declared Budweiser’s “American Icons” spot will be the most popular commercial from this year’s Super Bowl. And why not? It has all the elements of a successful Super Bowl spot: Cute animals, patriotism and humor. The spot, timed to the company’s 150th anniversary and the nation’s 250th year features one of Budweiser’s Clydesdale horses and its friendship with an American Bald Eagle chick.
Heartwarming spots also have their place in the Super Bowl ad firmament and this year that includes a Toyota ad featuring multiple generations of a family who refer to seatbelts as “superhero belts.”
Nostalgia plays are also a Super Bowl ad staple and this year Comcast’s Xfinity de-ages the stars of “Jurassic Park,” including Pittsburgh native Jeff Goldblum, to tout “a whole new species of Wifi.”
Celebrities, of course, are also well-represented this year, including Food Network star Guy Fieri, sporting a new look for Bosch, and Ben Affleck acting cringey for Dunkin.
Parker Posey revisits a “White Lotus”-like locale with Matthew McConaghuey in an Uber Eats ad, “Saturday Night Live” alum Bowen Yang promotes Ritz Crackers, music star Sabrina Carpenter munches on Pringles, Lady Gaga channels Mister Rogers in an NFL brand spot, William Shatner, as “bran ambassador” Will Shat, pitches the benefits of fiber in Raisin Bran and in a spot focused on “tight ends,” Rob Gronkowski touts a Novartis blood test for prostate cancer.
This year also brings a commercial that references other commercials as Pepsi converts a polar bear, like the ones previously seen in Coke ads, to become a Pepsi drinker.
Then there are the odd ducks, like a commercial for vodka brand Svedka featuring creepy-looking robots that the company says is the first Super Bowl spot made primarily with artificial intelligence. Andy Samberg, singing to the tune of “Sweet Caroline” as “Meal Diamond,” squirts mayonnaise on diners’ sandwiches for Hellmann’s.
‘Kingstown’ seeks extras
The fifth and final season of Paramount ’s “Mayor of Kingstown” will film in Pittsburgh from March to June and the production seeks background performers (AKA extras) to play town locals, SWAT/cops/FBI, prison guards, gang members, inmates and diner/bar patrons.
Pay is $250 per hour with 12 hours guaranteed. No experience necessary. Apply at www.movieextraspittsburgh.com.
Kept/canceled
Netflix renewed “The Lincoln Lawyer” for a fifth season ahead of its Feb. 5 season four premiere. Netflix will bring back Ted Danson’s “A Man on the Inside” for a third season and ordered a second season of “Finding Her Edge.”
Apple TV renewed Jon Hamm’s “Your Friends & Neighbors” for a third season ahead of its second season premiere on April 3.
NBC renewed “Happy’s Place” and “St. Denis Medical” for the 2026-27 TV season.
“The Kelly Clarkson Show” will end its run later this year after seven seasons, which means WTAE will need to find a new lead-in to its 4 p.m. newscast.
Daytime talk show “Sherri,” which hasn’t aired in the Pittsburgh market for a few years, will end after its current fourth season.
Channel surfing
Nielsen’s streaming content ratings data informs the company’s 2025 Artey Awards, which gave its Top New Original Drama Award to “The Pitt,” which garnered 11.4 billion minutes of viewing. The Top Original, “Stranger Things,” had 40 billion minutes of viewing, and the Top Overall series, “Bluey,” had 45.2 billion minutes of viewing. … Ratings for the Grammy Awards telecast dropped by 6% from 2025 to 14.4 million viewers in the show’s last year on CBS before moving to ABC/Disney /Hulu in 2027. … Comcast’s Xfinity will deliver “Super Bowl LX” via RealTime4K, offering the game “just seconds behind the on-field action” to viewers with 4K TV sets and a 4K-capable Xfinity X1 TV box. … For the first time beginning March 30, ABC’s “American Idol” will stream live simultaneously on Disney . … Animated “Stranger Things” spin-off series “Tales from ‘85” debuts on Netflix on April 23.
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You can reach TV writer Rob Owen at [email protected] or 412-380-8559. Follow @RobOwenTV on Threads, X/Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook. Ask TV questions by email or phone. Please include your first name and location.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source community.triblive.com ’
