00:00Now, this is a story all about how Big Pharma took over the Super Bowl.
00:04Oh, wow.
00:05For years, Super Bowl ads were basically a rotating cast of chips, beer, and nostalgic mascots.
00:10But recently, something has shifted.
00:12Pharmaceutical companies dramatically increased their presence on TV.
00:16In 2025 alone, Pharma spent over $7 billion on TV ads, a 16% jump from the year before.
00:22The top 10 drug brands boosted their ad spend by 30% in the first quarter,
00:27generating more than 710 billion impressions.
00:29And all of those numbers mean that if you watched TV last year,
00:33there's a good chance you saw more drug commercials than Yellowstone plotlines.
00:37And at the same time, streaming platforms expanded their ad-supported tiers.
00:41Streaming now makes up over 40% of all TV viewing,
00:44and Pharma quickly became one of the most consistent buyers of that ad space.
00:49Essentially, if there was a screen, they were on it.
00:51And then there's the Super Bowl, the biggest advertising stage in America.
00:55This year, a 30-second ad spot costs around $8 million,
00:58with some going over $10 million.
01:01That steep price tag pushed out some traditional categories like automotive
01:05and opened the door for industries with bigger marketing budgets,
01:08sports betting, AI platforms, and yes, big pharma.
01:12So what do the people think about this shift?
01:14Well, pharma supporters say it reflects real demand.
01:17They argue that advertising helps people learn about new treatments,
01:21encourages early screenings, and reduces any stigma around health issues.
01:25Critics, on the other hand, worry that these ads end up over-educating people
01:29to the point where every symptom starts to feel like a diagnosis.
01:33You know, it's the kind of thing where you watch one psoriasis commercial,
01:35notice your elbows are a little dry,
01:37suddenly you're at the doctor's office asking about a prescription
01:40like you're ordering a combo meal,
01:41when realistically, some lotion probably would have solved your issue.
01:45But when you break it all down, a lot of Super Bowl fans just miss
01:48when the ads were less about talking to your doctor
01:50and more about talking frog saying,
01:52but what do you think?
01:54Do you watch the Super Bowl for the game or for the ads?
01:57Let us know in the comments, check out our website,
01:59and follow us here for more.
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