Each year, the Super Bowl reaches the apex of advertising economics—a rare moment when a brand can reach more than 120 million viewers in a single evening, a scale of attention unmatched by nearly any other broadcast or live event. In 2025, Super Bowl LIX attracted an estimated 127.7 million viewers across television and streaming platforms, setting a new benchmark for audience reach.
An audience of that size comes at a staggering price. For Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026, broadcasters have reportedly sold out 30-second ad slots at prices starting around $7 million, with market sources indicating the going rate for premium placements at $8 million for 30 seconds. When you factor in production, talent, and amplification costs, total investment for a single spot often runs significantly higher.
Some brands see this investment as worth every penny—not just for awareness, but for social impact. Dove, for instance, is returning to the Super Bowl in 2026 with a body confidence message aimed at parents and young people. The campaign, "The Code," tackles the harmful effects of social media filters on girls' self-esteem and mental health. Building on two decades of Dove's Real Beauty work, the spot encourages parents to talk with their daughters about digital beauty standards and reject toxic comparison culture.
It's a powerful reminder that purpose-driven creative can command the biggest stage, and that some brands are willing to make multimillion-dollar bets on messages that go beyond product features to address real social challenges.
Notably, the Super Bowl stage extends far beyond the broadcast itself, allowing advertisers to tap into a moment when the nation is collectively tuned in, talking, and—perhaps just as important—sharing their reactions across social platforms long after kickoff.
While we’re not disputing the visibility and ripple effect that Super Bowl commercials offer brands, for the past few years we’ve posed the question: What impact could nonprofit organizations achieve with that same level of corporate investment?
This year, we settled on $8 million dollars, and reached out to some of our most admired NGOs to inquire what they could do with an $8 million windfall. Here’s what they told us.
- Action Against Hunger could help one child every minute of every year recover from potentially life-threatening hunger. As little as $1 can help trained volunteers screen a child for early signs of malnutrition, support caregiver education and ensure a referral for follow up care. That's the essential first step in delivering malnutrition treatment that is more than 90% effective.
- Animal Haven and other animal welfare organizations could spay/neuter nearly 12,000 animals, slowing the cycle of unplanned and unnecessary litters and reducing the burden on animal shelters across the country.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America could match more than 5,400 at-risk youth with a reliable mentor or positive role model.
- Food For Free could provide 11.2 million nutritious meals to neighbors facing hunger and food insecurity.
- Green Bronx Machine could deliver an indoor academic gardening program including hydroponic technology, K-12 curriculum, teacher training, professional development, all classroom materials, AND a portable classroom teaching kitchen to every single K-12 public school in Foxborough, Boston, Seattle, and the Bronx—resulting in higher performing public schools, happier healthier children, and yearly ongoing access to over 2M pounds of fresh vegetables.
- Keep America Beautiful could pick up 50 million pieces of litter, plant 25k trees to support communities recovering from natural disasters and transform 250 vacant lots into clean, green parks.
- Save the Children could support the education of 425,000 children in the US living in poverty.
If you’re a nonprofit organization: What could your organization achieve with $8 million? And if you’re a brand: What could you help nonprofits or communities achieve with that kind of windfall? Or, what if you reallocated just $1 million of your Super Bowl investment toward one of the causes above? Just something to ponder in between touchdowns and commercial breaks this Sunday.
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Carol is internationally recognized for her work in Purpose and CSR. Carol Cone ON PURPOSE is the return to her entrepreneurial roots and life’s passion: to educate, inspire and accelerate purpose programs and impacts for organizations, nonprofits and individuals around the globe.
Published Feb 6, 2026 3am EST / 12am PST / 8am GMT / 9am CET