Super Bowl LX Commercial Brands: Who Owns Them?
Super Bowl LX featured the biggest ad spenders in America. But who actually owns the brands behind the commercials? We traced every major Super Bowl advertiser to its corporate parent.
The Biggest Night in Advertising
Super Bowl LX brought the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on February 9, 2026. But beyond the game, the Super Bowl is the most important advertising event of the year. With 30-second ad spots costing an estimated $7-8 million, only the biggest brands in the world can afford to play.
What most viewers do not consider while watching these multimillion-dollar commercials is who actually owns the brands being advertised. A Super Bowl commercial for Doritos is really a commercial for PepsiCo. A Tide ad is really a Procter & Gamble ad. Understanding the corporate parents behind Super Bowl advertisers reveals just how concentrated the consumer economy really is.
The Major Advertisers and Their Corporate Parents
Beverage Brands
| Brand | Corporate Parent | Spot Cost (Est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Budweiser | AB InBev (Belgium) | $7M+ |
| Bud Light | AB InBev (Belgium) | $7M+ |
| Michelob Ultra | AB InBev (Belgium) | $7M+ |
| Pepsi | PepsiCo | $7M+ |
| Mountain Dew | PepsiCo | $7M+ |
| Coca-Cola | Coca-Cola Company | $7M+ |
The concentration: AB InBev, a Belgian-Brazilian conglomerate, typically runs multiple Super Bowl ads across its beer portfolio. That means a foreign-owned company is one of the largest advertisers on America's most patriotic sporting event. PepsiCo and Coca-Cola round out the beverage presence.
Snack Brands
| Brand | Corporate Parent |
|---|---|
| Doritos | PepsiCo (Frito-Lay division) |
| Pringles | Mars, Incorporated (via Kellanova acquisition) |
| M&M's | Mars, Incorporated |
The concentration: PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division owns the majority of America's salty snack brands. When you see a Doritos commercial, the same company also owns Lay's, Cheetos, Tostitos, Ruffles, and Fritos. Mars now owns Pringles through its 2025 Kellanova acquisition, adding to a candy empire that already included M&M's and Snickers.
Technology Brands
| Brand | Corporate Parent |
|---|---|
| iPhone / Apple | Apple Inc. |
| Google / Pixel | Alphabet Inc. |
| Meta / Instagram | Meta Platforms |
| Amazon / Alexa | Amazon.com |
The concentration: The four largest technology companies by market cap (Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon) collectively represent over $10 trillion in market value. Their Super Bowl presence reflects their dominance not just in tech, but in consumer culture.
Automotive Brands
| Brand | Corporate Parent | Parent HQ |
|---|---|---|
| BMW | BMW Group | Germany |
| Ram | Stellantis | Netherlands |
| Chevrolet | General Motors | USA |
| Toyota | Toyota Motor | Japan |
| Kia | Hyundai Motor Group | South Korea |
The concentration: Most automakers advertising during the Super Bowl are foreign-headquartered. BMW (Germany), Toyota (Japan), Kia/Hyundai (South Korea), and Stellantis (Netherlands/Italy) represent global automotive groups. Even "American" brands like Ram are owned by the multinational Stellantis group.
Food and CPG Brands
| Brand | Corporate Parent |
|---|---|
| Tide | Procter & Gamble |
| Hellmann's | Unilever |
| Pringles | Mars, Inc. |
The concentration: P&G and Unilever are the two largest consumer goods companies in the world. Between them, they own brands in virtually every household product category. A P&G Super Bowl ad promotes one brand while generating awareness for a company that makes dozens of other products in your home.
Insurance and Financial Services
| Brand | Corporate Parent |
|---|---|
| State Farm | State Farm (mutual company) |
| GEICO | Berkshire Hathaway |
| Progressive | Progressive Corporation |
The concentration: GEICO, one of the most frequent Super Bowl advertisers, is owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. Every GEICO gecko commercial generates revenue that flows to Berkshire's shareholders.
The Real Numbers
Estimated total Super Bowl LX ad spending: $600-700 million (including production costs)
Number of unique corporate parents behind major ads: Approximately 25-30
Average cost per 30-second spot: $7-8 million
Most represented parent company: AB InBev (typically 3-4 ads across Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, and other brands)
What This Reveals
Foreign Ownership Is Everywhere
A significant portion of Super Bowl advertisers are ultimately owned by foreign companies:
- AB InBev (Belgium/Brazil): Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra
- Stellantis (Netherlands): Ram, Jeep, Dodge
- Toyota (Japan): Toyota, Lexus
- Hyundai/Kia (South Korea): Hyundai, Kia, Genesis
- BMW (Germany): BMW, MINI
- [Unilever](/companies/unilever) (UK): Hellmann's, Dove
The most "American" sporting event is substantially funded by foreign-owned corporations marketing to American consumers.
The Conglomerate Effect
When AB InBev runs three separate beer commercials, it looks like three competing brands advertising independently. In reality, it is one company using multiple brands to capture different consumer segments simultaneously. The same dynamic plays out with PepsiCo (Pepsi + Doritos + Mountain Dew) and other multi-brand advertisers.
Ad Spending Reflects Market Power
The brands that can afford $7 million for 30 seconds of airtime are, almost by definition, owned by the largest and most profitable companies in the world. Super Bowl advertising is a proxy for corporate concentration: fewer, larger companies control more of what you buy.
The Cost Per Viewer Math
Super Bowl LX was expected to draw approximately 120+ million viewers. At $7 million for a 30-second spot, that works out to roughly $0.06 per viewer. For brands with mass-market products (beer, soda, snacks, insurance), this is actually cost-effective advertising on a per-impression basis, which is why the same companies return year after year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which company spends the most on Super Bowl ads?
AB InBev (Anheuser-Busch InBev) has historically been the largest Super Bowl advertiser, often purchasing multiple minutes of airtime across its beer brands. PepsiCo and its Frito-Lay division are also among the top spenders.
Are Super Bowl ads worth $7 million?
For mass-market brands, the math often works. A Super Bowl ad reaches 120+ million viewers in a single moment, generates social media discussion, and often gets replayed millions of times online. The cultural impact of a successful Super Bowl ad can last for years.
Who owns Budweiser?
Budweiser is owned by AB InBev (Anheuser-Busch InBev), a Belgian-Brazilian multinational formed through a series of mergers. Despite its American heritage and patriotic marketing, Budweiser's parent company is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium.
The Bottom Line
Super Bowl commercials are entertaining, but they also reveal the corporate concentration behind America's most popular consumer brands. A handful of multinational conglomerates, many headquartered outside the United States, fund the majority of advertising on America's biggest sporting event. Understanding who owns these brands adds a layer of awareness to the annual spectacle of Super Bowl advertising.
Track brand ownership on WhoBrands or browse brands by category.
Sources
1. Ad Age. "Super Bowl 2026 Commercials: Brands, Agencies, Strategies." 2. Business Insider. "Best 2026 Super Bowl LX Ads." February 2026. 3. Brand Innovators. "Super Bowl Ad Tracker 2026." 4. iSpot. "2026 Super Bowl Advertisers." 5. Nielsen. "Super Bowl Viewership Data." 2026.
All brand ownership data verified through WhoBrands.com's research methodology. Last updated: February 8, 2026.
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Brands & Companies Mentioned
Doritos
Owned by PepsiCo
American brand of flavored tortilla chips produced by Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, known for its bold flavors and triangular shape.
iPhone
Owned by Apple Inc.
Smartphone product line developed and marketed by Apple Inc.
PepsiCo
American multinational food and beverage corporation owning Pepsi, Lay's, Gatorade, Doritos, Quaker Oats, and dozens of other iconic brands, with FY2025 revenue of $93.9 billion.
23 brands in portfolio
Procter & Gamble
Multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.
33 brands in portfolio
Apple Inc.
American multinational technology corporation designing and selling consumer electronics, software, and digital services, headquartered in Cupertino, California.
15 brands in portfolio