Best Super Bowl commercials 2026: Budweiser, Dunkin, and MrBeast lead a pricey ad night

Super Bowl LX delivered a familiar annual doubleheader: a championship game in Santa Clara, California, followed by a rapid-fire debate over the best Super Bowl commercials 2026. With advertisers paying premium prices for 30 seconds, the 2026 Super Bowl ads leaned hard into comfort-food nostalgia, big celebrities, and broad jokes—while a smaller set tried emotional storytelling and tech-forward themes.

Kickoff was Sunday, February 8, 2026, at about 6:30 p.m. ET at Levi’s Stadium. That host-site detail matters for this year’s ad conversation because several brands leaned into Bay Area imagery, “big stage” spectacle, and high-production set pieces designed to look like mini-movies.

Best Super Bowl commercials 2026: the crowd favorites

Across multiple rankings that circulated immediately after the game, a few spots repeatedly surfaced near the top—especially beer, snacks, and celebrity comedy.

One of the most consistent top picks was Budweiser’s Clydesdale-led “American Icons”-style storytelling, built around a warm animal-friendship narrative. Dunkin’s celebrity-packed parody (riffing on Boston nostalgia) also landed high in many lists, boosted by its wink-at-the-audience energy and quick-hit cameos. A Pepsi spot featuring a returning polar bear character was another recurring mention for people who wanted something simple, recognizable, and broadly funny.

A separate track of “best” lists elevated more sentimental and tech-themed ads, including an emotional “new home” storyline tied to an AI assistant—evidence that 2026 viewers didn’t only reward jokes, even if comedy still dominated.

MrBeast, State Farm, and Ben Stiller: the buzziest stunts

A chunk of this year’s attention clustered around three specific “talked-about” campaigns:

• MrBeast’s Super Bowl debut: a behind-the-scenes chaos concept built around coordinating massive stunts—plus a contest hook that turned the ad into a participation game rather than a one-and-done punchline.

• State Farm’s music parody: a recognizable arena-anthem riff that used performance and star power to make the brand message stick without overexplaining it.

• Ben Stiller’s comedy cameo: a pop-forward, intentionally “unhinged” performance concept that played like a music video sketch, designed for instant replay the next morning.

Not every viewer will put these in the “best commercials Super Bowl 2026” bucket, but they’re among the most discussed because they were built to travel beyond the broadcast.

How much is a Super Bowl commercial in 2026?

If you’re asking “how much is a Super Bowl commercial” or “how much does a Super Bowl ad cost,” 2026 pushed the high end even higher. Ad slots were widely discussed as reaching up to about $10 million for 30 seconds, with many buys understood to land in the high single-digit millions depending on placement and packages.

Here’s a quick snapshot of how the Super Bowl commercial cost has been framed lately:

That price pressure helps explain why so many 2026 spots favored “safe” formulas: a famous face, a familiar song, or a warm story that won’t alienate viewers.

Where is the Super Bowl at, and where was it last year?

For anyone searching “where is the super bowl at” or “where was the super bowl last year,” here are the clean answers tied to the most recent two games:

• Super Bowl 2026 (Super Bowl LX): Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California (Feb. 8, 2026)

• Super Bowl 2025 (Super Bowl LIX): Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana (Feb. 9, 2025)

What made the “best” ads stand out this year

Even with huge budgets, the ads that rose fastest tended to share a few traits: a single clear idea, quick setup, and a payoff that worked even if you missed the first five seconds. Budweiser’s emotional arc fit that mold. Dunkin’s sketch-comedy rhythm fit it too. MrBeast’s spot leaned into a modern twist—turning attention into participation—while State Farm’s parody used a familiar melody to do the heavy lifting.

Looking ahead, the 2026 playbook hints that brands are treating the Super Bowl less like one ad slot and more like a launch moment: teasers before kickoff, a centerpiece during the game, and extensions afterward meant to keep the “best super bowl commercials” conversation going all week.

Sources consulted: The Associated Press; ABC News; Adweek; Business Insider