Super Bowl commercials remain the best way for big brands to reach most Americans - but it comes with a hefty price tag of $7 million for a 30-second spot. 

On Sunday night, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, two of the league's big market franchises with high star power, look set to challenge the Super Bowl's viewership record - 114 million viewers for New England-Seattle in 2014.

Brands spanning the globe are desperate to buy time, leading to the price tag having gone from $37,500 for Super Bowl I in 1966, $368,200 for Super Bowl XVIII in 1983, and even a gargantuan raise from $4million for an ad just 10 years ago.

Super Bowl advertising's value seemed to be in question towards the end of the 2010s; with prices for a 30-second ad decreasing significantly (from $5.4million to $5.2million) for the first time in the game's history.  

But since the 2020 and 2021 Super Bowls held firm at a $5.6million buy-in for an ad, costs have gone up into the stratosphere yet again with 2023's new record for Fox's broadcast of the game.

The $7 million price tag is for ads that run across the country but local advertising can be just as taxing. 

The New York Mets, for example, took out a 30-second commercial that would only run in the New York area. The cost: $256,000. 

While ratings for the Super Bowl have been down in recent years from that 2014 record - last year's game drew 99.1million viewers - the game is still far and away the easiest way to reach the most Americans. 

Other major television events pale in comparison. The much talked about Grammy Awards the weekend prior drew just 12.4million viewers on CBS; last year's Academy Awards hit 16.6million; President Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday drew 27million, according to the Hollywood Reporter. 

Even fellow big ticket sporting events are left in the dust by the NFL - the World Cup final between France and Argentina hit 17.7million US viewers; Game 6 of last year's NBA Finals drew 13.9million; the most-watched game of last year's World Series drew 12.8million, Sports Business Journal reported. 

As a display of football's dominance, the most-watched night of the 2022 Beijing Olympics drew 24million, but only because it aired on NBC directly after the Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl ads are more than just breaks between gameplay during the biggest sporting event of the year: they offer a glimpse of the country´s zeitgeist, along with how major industries are faring.

This year, crypto ads and automakers are advertising less since those industries are facing problems. 

Major food brands like M&Ms, tech companies like Google, streaming services including Peacock and alcohol brands have jumped in to take their place.

When Super Bowl LVII kicks off Sunday night with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Philadelphia Eagles in Glendale, Arizona, big marketers will be battling it out during the Fox broadcast as well.

Their prize? The chance to capture the attention of more than 100 million viewers expected to tune in for the big game. This price of entry is steep: some advertisers are paying more than $7 million for a 30-second spot, and that doesn't include the cost of making the ad itself.

This year, viewers can expect stars galore, light humor and catchy songs. 

For the most part, advertisers are steering away from somber messages or outrageous humor that might have worked to capture attention in decades past, but not now, when the country is still emerging from the pandemic, facing economic uncertainty, and the war continues in Ukraine.

'This year is a `don´t worry be happy´ year,' said Kelly O´Keefe, CEO of Brand Federation. 

'You name it, we've had it all and its put us in almost depressed situation. This year people are over it and advertisers are responding really well -there are traditional brands, traditional humor and its going to feel like just a big old group hug.'

Stars are commonplace in Super Bowl ads, but over the past few years ads have been more and more stuffed with celebrities. This year is no exception.

While Ben Affleck's beloved New England Patriots won't be going to the Super Bowl, the actor will be seen in a new Super Bowl commercial during the big game.

The 50-year-old actor will be prominently featured in the spot, with his 53-year-old wife Lopez also putting in a cameo appearance, according to People... which comes after the couple shared a tense exchange during the Grammy Awards on Sunday.

The ad will mark the first ever Super Bowl ad for the beloved coffee and donut shop, founded in Quincy, Massachusetts as Open Kettle in 1958, before the name was changed to Dunkin' Donuts in 1950.

Dunkin also teased Affleck's appearance in a cryptic Instagram video which says, 'Something's Ben Brewing,' along with 2.12.23, the date for the Super Bowl.

While many Super Bowl ads have been released days before the big game, it's unclear if this commercial will drop before the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. 

Popular celebrities offer goodwill to a brand and help it stand out from the 50-plus or so advertisers during the big game. But with so many stars in ads, it can be harder stand out in a crowded field.

'If you use celebrity in a smart way, it's huge,' said Rich Weinstein, a professor at VCU Brandcenter. 'But with all of these celebrities, are people going to remember who each celebrity is attached to?'

Other big names making a splash this year: Melissa McCarthy sings a jingle for Booking.com, Miles Teller dances to hold music for Bud Light and Adam Driver makes multiples of himself for Squarespace. 

Avocados From Mexico enlists Anna Faris for one of the few slightly risque ads this year, that envisions a present where everyone is naked - including the Statue of Liberty. 

And tennis star Serena Williams stars in two ads: one for Michelob Ultra and one for Remy Martin. It's the second year in a row she has had a presence in more than one ad: last year in addition to a Michelob Ultra ad, she starred in an ad for smart home-gym maker Tonal. 

Even hip hop mogul P. Diddy appears in an ad, in which he tries to make a hit for Uber One.

One unusual star this year: Jesus. A group of Christian donors is paying top dollar for two ads that promote the 'He Gets Us' religious message.

In order to get as much of a return on investment for those millions, most advertisers release their ads in the days ahead of the big game to get the most publicity for their spots. In the ads released so far, John Travolta and "Scrubs" stars Donald Faison and Zach Braff sing a T-Mobile themed version of "Summer Nights" from "Grease," Adam Driver creates multiple versions of himself for Squarespace, and Alicia Silverstone reprises her "Clueless" character for online shopping site Rakuten.