🏟️ Want a Super Bowl Commercial? Too Late, They’re Gone

Welcome to this week’s edition of Sports Industry Weekly.
We’re breaking down the biggest headlines, boldest moves, and emerging trends shaping the business of sports. From major deals to industry shifts, here’s what you need to know. Let’s dive in.

NBC has officially sold out ad inventory for Super Bowl LX, with 30-second spots going for a record-breaking $8 million apiece. The network’s ad sales chief, Peter Lazarus, confirmed the final unit for the Feb. 8, 2026 broadcast is off the market, more than five months before kickoff. The demand underscores the unrivaled draw of the NFL’s championship stage, where brands routinely gamble big budgets for massive visibility.

The sellout marks the earliest NBC has ever closed its Super Bowl sales slate, reflecting both confidence in the game’s audience power and escalating competition among advertisers. For NBC, it’s a windfall that sets the tone for a lucrative year; for marketers, it’s a reminder that the Super Bowl remains the gold standard of appointment TV. With prices at all-time highs, the frenzy highlights how sports content continues to dominate the advertising landscape. (more here)

📺 NFL RedZone will add four split-screen 15-second ads in Week 1, but game action will never leave the screen.

🤝 American Express will replace Visa as the NFL’s payment partner in 2026 with a seven-year, $1B deal.

💰 The Patriots lead all NFL teams in 2025 offseason free-agency spending.

👀 Texas–Ohio State drew 16.6M viewers on Fox, the biggest Week 1 college football audience ever.

💼 Ten college athletes are suing the NCAA, alleging its redshirt rule violates antitrust law.

📈 The Big 12 is finalizing a major multiyear sponsorship with Allstate, one of its biggest deals ever.

🏈 Alabama will feature U.S. Navy Maritime Industrial Base logos on Saban Field through a new sponsorship.

🦅 DUDE Wipes is now the official presenting partner of the Eagles’ “Tush Push.”

🏀 Angel Reese joined Togethxr’s ownership group, launching a bold limited-edition jersey with the brand.

📈 The Koch family is set to buy a minority stake in the Giants at a $10B+ valuation, the NFL’s richest ever.

🏀 Construction is underway on the Indiana Fever’s $78M Sports Performance Center, set to open by May 2027.

⚽️ Chicago Stars FC will debut at Northwestern’s 12,000-seat stadium Sunday with 8,000+ tickets already sold.

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