Pittsburgh native Jeff Goldblum get de-aged for a “Jurassic Park”-themed Comcast Xfinity commercial to air during “Super Bowl LX.” (Courtesy Xfinity)
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.
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.”