March 2026 Problem of the Month

Over the years, the price of a thirty second commercial during the Super Bowl has always astounded me.
Use the clues below to determine the cost of a 30-second commercial for the years 1967, 1983, 1991, 2014, and 2026, which correspond to Super Bowls I, XVII, XXV, XLVIII, and LX.
You must SHOW YOUR WORK.

1. The cost of a 30-second commercial for Super Bowl 25 was twice the cost of a commercial for Super Bowl 17.
2. The cost of a 30-second commercial for Super Bowl 60 was ten times the cost of a commercial for Super Bowl 25.
3. The cost of a 30-second commercial for Super Bowl 60 plus the cost of a commercial for Super Bowl 48 was ten times the cost of the sum of the commercials for Super Bowl 17 and Super Bowl 25.
4. The sum of the costs for a 30-second commercial for Super Bowls 1, 25, and 60 was $8,837,500.
5. The sum of the costs for a 30-second commercial for Super Bowls 1, 17, and 25 was $1,237,500.

Solution to the Problem:

Here is the solution:

A	Super Bowl I	1967	$37,500
B	Super Bowl XVII	1983	$400,000
C	Super Bowl XXV	1991	$800,000
D	Super Bowl XLVIII	2014	$4,000,000
E	Super Bowl LX	2026	$8,000,000

Let A = cost of a 30-second commercial for Super Bowl 1
Let B = cost of a 30-second commercial for Super Bowl 17
Let C = cost of a 30-second commercial for Super Bowl 25
Let D = cost of a 30-second commercial for Super Bowl 48
Let E = cost of a 30-second commercial for Super Bowl 60

Then set up 5 equations:

(1)   C = 2B
(2)   E = 10C
(3)   D + E = 10 (B + C)
(4)   A + C + E = 8837500
(5)   A + B + C = 1237500

(6)     E - B = 7600000     Subtracting (4) - (5)
(7)     E = 20B     Substituting (1) into (2)
(8)     19B = 7600000     Substituting (7) into (6)
Therefore B = 400,000
So, C = 800,000 from (1)

Continue substituting to solve for the other three variables.

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Danny of Georgia set up the same five equations and then used an equation solver to do the algebra:

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Super Bowl commercial price history
Here's what 30-second Super Bowl ads have cost through the years:
Super Bowl 1, 1967 – $37,500
Super Bowl 2, 1968 – $54,500
Super Bowl 3, 1969 – $55,000
Super Bowl 4, 1970 – $78,200
Super Bowl 5, 1971 – $72,500
Super Bowl 6, 1972 – $86,100
Super Bowl 7, 1973 – $88,100
Super Bowl 8, 1974 – $103,500
Super Bowl 9, 1975 – $107,000
Super Bowl 10, 1976 – $110,000
Super Bowl 11, 1977 – $125,000
Super Bowl 12, 1978 –$162,300
Super Bowl 13, 1979 – $185,000
Super Bowl 14, 1980 – $222,000
Super Bowl 15, 1981 – $275,000
Super Bowl 16, 1982 – $324,300
Super Bowl 17, 1983 – $400,000
Super Bowl 18, 1984 – $368,200
Super Bowl 19, 1985 – $525,000
Super Bowl 20, 1986 – $550,000
Super Bowl 21, 1987 – $600,000
Super Bowl 22, 1988 – $645,500
Super Bowl 23, 1989 – $675,500
Super Bowl 24, 1990 – $700,400
Super Bowl 25, 1991 – $800,000
Super Bowl 26, 1992 – $850,000
Super Bowl 27, 1993 – $850,000
Super Bowl 28, 1994 – $900,000
Super Bowl 29, 1995 – $1.15 million
Super Bowl 30, 1996 – $1.085 million
Super Bowl 31, 1997 – $1.2 million
Super Bowl 32, 1998 – $1.29 million
Super Bowl 33, 1999 – $1.6 million
Super Bowl 34, 2000 – $2.1 million
Super Bowl 35, 2001 – $2.2 million
Super Bowl 36, 2002 – $2.2 million
Super Bowl 37, 2003 – $2.2 million
Super Bowl 38, 2004 – $2.3 million
Super Bowl 39, 2005 – $2.4 million
Super Bowl 40, 2006 – $2.5 million
Super Bowl 41, 2007 – $2.385 million
Super Bowl 42, 2008 – $2.699 million
Super Bowl 43, 2009 – $2.999 million
Super Bowl 44, 2010 – $2.954 million
Super Bowl 45, 2011 – $3.1 million
Super Bowl 46, 2012 – $3.5 million
Super Bowl 47, 2013 – $3.8 million
Super Bowl 48, 2014 – $4 million
Super Bowl 49, 2015 – $4.25 million
Super Bowl 50, 2016 – $4.5 million
Super Bowl 51, 2017 – $5 million
Super Bowl 52, 2018 – $5.2 million
Super Bowl 53, 2019 – $5.3 million
Super Bowl 54, 2020 – $5.6 million
Super Bowl 55, 2021 – $5.5 milllion
Super Bowl 56, 2022 – $6.5 million
Super Bowl 57, 2023 – $7 million
Super Bowl 58, 2024 – $7 million
Super Bowl 59, 2025 – $7 million, with some brands reportedly paying around $8 million
Super Bowl 60, 2026 – $8 million, with some brands paying around $10 million
 

Sources: USA TODAY
The Independent