Thirty-second Super Bowl ads sold for $7 million on average. Political ad airings exceeded 1.2 million in the last election cycle. This data reveals an industry balancing immense revenue with shifting audience habits.
Key Takeaways
- Super Bowl ad spots sold for average $7 million for 30 seconds in 2023
- Broadcast TV political ad airings exceeded 1.2 million in 2022 cycle
- CPM for broadcast primetime 18-49 demo averaged $25.40 in Q1 2023
- ATSC 3.0 rollout reached 50% of U.S. households by end of 2023
- 44% of U.S. TV households subscribed to vMVPDs over traditional pay-TV in Q2 2023
- Broadcast TV usage among Gen Z fell to 8% of total TV time in 2023
- Primetime scripted series accounted for 45% of broadcast programming hours in 2022-2023 season
- Number of original scripted series on broadcast TV fell to 52 in 2022-2023 from 68 prior year
- Reality/unscripted shows made up 28% of broadcast primetime slots in 2022-2023
- U.S. broadcast TV revenue reached $57.5 billion in 2022, primarily from advertising
- ABC's revenue from TV advertising was $8.2 billion in 2022
- CBS Corporation reported $18.6 billion in total revenue for fiscal 2022, with TV contributing majority
- In 2023, the Super Bowl LVII broadcast on Fox averaged 115.1 million viewers, marking the second most-watched U.S. broadcast in history
- During the 2022-2023 TV season, CBS led broadcast networks with an average of 5.13 million total viewers in primetime
- NBC's primetime audience averaged 3.55 million viewers in the 2022-2023 season among total viewers
Broadcast TV ad markets stayed strong in 2023 despite pricing and viewing shifts, with Super Bowl 30 second spots averaging $7 million.
Related reading
01 · Category
Advertising Statistics26 stats
01
Super Bowl ad spots sold for average $7 million for 30 seconds in 2023
02
Broadcast TV political ad airings exceeded 1.2 million in 2022 cycle
03
CPM for broadcast primetime 18-49 demo averaged $25.40in Q1 2023
04
Local TV news ad revenue was $18.5 billion in 2022
05
Pharma ads accounted for 12% of broadcast TV ad minutes in 2023
06
Average primetime broadcast ad load was 14.2 minutes per hour in 2023
07
Auto ads increased 15% on broadcast TV post-2023 strikes
08
Q4 2022 upfront broadcast ad commitments totaled $9.2 billion
09
Retail ad spend on broadcast TV reached $6.8 billion in 2022 holiday season
10
C3 ratings basis saw 8% decline in ad impressions for broadcast in 2023
11
Legal services ads surged 22% to top spender category on local TV in 2023
12
Broadcast networks sold 92% of inventory upfront for 2023-24 season
13
Financial services ads averaged 4.1 minutes per primetime hour in 2023
14
Hispanic-targeted ads on broadcast grew 10% to $1.2 billion in 2022
15
Streaming measurement led to 5% shift of ad dollars from broadcast in 2023
16
Candy/confection ads doubled during Halloween on broadcast TV 2023
17
Broadcast TV ad revenue per viewer fell 7% YoY to $120 in 2023
18
Telecom ads occupied 9% of broadcast ad time in Q2 2023
19
Upfront pricing for broadcast primetime rose 4% to $27 CPM in 2023
20
Quick-service restaurant ads averaged $2.1 billion on broadcast in 2022
21
Addressable TV ads on broadcast platforms reached 20 million households in 2023
22
Beer ads declined 6% amid cord-cutting impact on broadcast 2023
23
Broadcast scatter pricing exceeded upfront by 12% in late 2023
24
Packaged goods ads share was 11.3% of broadcast TV time in 2023
25
Travel ads rebounded 25% to $1.5 billion on broadcast post-COVID 2023
26
Election Day 2022 saw 45,000 political ad airings on broadcast TV
Interpretation
Advertising Statistics Interpretation
The numbers don't lie: broadcast TV remains a uniquely potent, and savagely expensive, town square where democracy is pitched next to pharmaceuticals, cars, and candy, all while wrestling with a reality of declining viewers and shifting dollars.
02 · Category
Industry Trends and Technology26 stats
01
ATSC 3.0 rollout reached 50% of U.S. households by end of 2023
02
44% of U.S. TV households subscribed to vMVPDs over traditional pay-TV in Q2 2023
03
Broadcast TV usage among Gen Z fell to 8% of total TV time in 2023
04
72% of local TV stations offered live streaming in 2023, up from 65% in 2022
05
NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) enabled 4K HDR broadcasts in 40 markets by 2023
06
Over-the-air only households rose to 15% of U.S. total in 2023
07
AI usage in broadcast newsrooms reached 35% for content creation in 2023
08
4K broadcast adoption hit 25% of NFL games in 2023 via ATSC 3.0
09
Virtual production stages used in 12% of broadcast pilots for 2023-24 season
10
88% of broadcasters invested in IP workflows by end of 2023
11
FAST channels from broadcasters grew to 150 on platforms like Roku in 2023
12
Remote production used for 60% of live sports broadcasts in 2023
13
55 million U.S. smart TVs tuned to broadcast apps monthly in 2023
14
Cloud-based playout adopted by 40% of local stations in 2023
15
5G integration for field production reached 28% of news teams in 2023
16
Broadcast TV carbon footprint reduced 12% via LED lighting in 2023 studios
17
Personalized ads via ATSC 3.0 tested in 10 markets reaching 20M homes 2023
18
65% of broadcasters planned OTT app launches by 2024 per 2023 survey
19
HDR broadcasts increased to 35% of primetime content in top markets 2023
20
Robotic cameras used in 45% of network news studios in 2023
21
30% decline in broadcast TV employment since 2019 to 120,000 jobs in 2023
22
Interactive TV trials via ATSC 3.0 engaged 5 million viewers in 2023 pilots
23
76% of local stations multicasted 4+ channels in 2023 digital slots
24
VR/AR news experiences broadcast to 10% of stations experimentally in 2023
25
Edge computing reduced latency 40% for live broadcasts in 2023 tests
26
92% of top affiliates used automated captioning AI in 2023
Interpretation
Industry Trends and Technology Interpretation
While traditional broadcast TV is learning to flirt with the cord-cutting, tech-embracing younger generation—offering 4K sports, streaming apps, and AI-crafted news even as its job numbers shrink—it's clear the industry is desperately remodeling its aging house into a sleek, multi-platform smart home before the last boomer changes the channel.
03 · Category
Programming and Content Statistics24 stats
01
Primetime scripted series accounted for 45% of broadcast programming hours in 2022-2023 season
02
Number of original scripted series on broadcast TV fell to 52 in 2022-2023 from 68 prior year
03
Reality/unscripted shows made up 28% of broadcast primetime slots in 2022-2023
04
Live sports programming occupied 15 hours per week on average across major networks in 2023
05
Newscasts averaged 4.5 hours per day on local broadcast stations in 2022
06
ABC aired 120 episodes of Grey's Anatomy across 2022-2023 seasons
07
CBS's NCIS franchise aired 50 episodes in 2022-2023
08
Fox renewed The Masked Singer for 10th season with 22 episodes planned
09
Broadcast networks debuted 18 new scripted series in fall 2022
10
Game shows occupied 12% of daytime broadcast schedules in 2023
11
Local investigative reporting segments increased 8% to average 2.1 per newscast in 2022
12
Broadcast TV produced 1,250 hours of original news content weekly in 2022
13
Sitcoms declined to only 8 series on broadcast primetime in 2022-2023
14
NBC's Law & Order franchise expanded to 4 series with 44 episodes in 2022-2023
15
Weekend morning children's programming reached 95% of affiliates in 2023
16
Broadcast TV election coverage totaled 450 hours across networks in 2022 midterms
17
Procedural dramas accounted for 35% of top 20 broadcast shows by ratings in 2023
18
ABC's Dancing with the Stars aired 24 episodes in season 31 (2022)
19
CBS Big Brother summer 2023 season had 70 episodes
20
Fox's 9-1-1 series moved to ABC after 118 episodes on Fox
21
Local stations aired average 22 hours of news per week in 2022
22
Broadcast TV Spanish-language programming hours grew 5% to 1,200 weekly in 2023
23
Daytime soaps on ABC (GH, Y&R) totaled 520 episodes in 2022-2023
24
Broadcast networks canceled 15 scripted shows mid-2023 season
Interpretation
Programming and Content Statistics Interpretation
Broadcast television is stubbornly clinging to scripted drama by the fingernails while reality shows, live sports, and an endless conveyor belt of crime procedurals and singing competitions steadily hoist the rest of the schedule.
More related reading
04 · Category
Revenue and Financial Statistics27 stats
01
U.S. broadcast TV revenue reached $57.5 billion in 2022, primarily from advertising
02
ABC's revenue from TV advertising was $8.2 billion in 2022
03
CBS Corporation reported $18.6 billion in total revenue for fiscal 2022, with TV contributing majority
04
NBCUniversal's broadcast revenue grew 4% to $11.3 billion in 2022
05
Fox Corporation's TV revenue was $10.4 billion in fiscal 2023
06
Broadcast TV ad revenue declined 11% to $41.7 billion in 2023, per IAB
07
Sinclair Broadcast Group revenue was $4.3 billion in 2022
08
Nexstar Media Group's TV revenue hit $4.9 billion in 2022
09
Tegna Inc. reported $3.4 billion revenue in 2022 from broadcast stations
10
Gray Television's revenue grew to $3.7 billion in 2022
11
Average profit margin for top broadcast networks was 15.2% in 2022
12
Political ad spending on broadcast TV reached $3.2 billion in 2022 midterms
13
Retransmission consent fees generated $4.5 billion for broadcasters in 2022
14
Disney's linear TV segment revenue fell 5% to $23.1 billion in fiscal 2023
15
Paramount Global's TV media revenue was $20.3 billion in 2022
16
Warner Bros. Discovery's networks revenue was $25.7 billion in 2022 post-merger
17
Local TV stations' average revenue per station was $22.5 million in 2022
18
Broadcast TV affiliate revenue from national ads averaged $1.8 million per station in 2022
19
Cost of programming for broadcast networks rose 7% to $12.4 billion in 2022
20
EBITDA for top 10 station groups averaged 28% margin in 2022
21
Broadcast TV debt levels for major groups averaged $15 billion in 2022
22
Sports rights fees for broadcast TV increased 12% to $10.2 billion in 2023 deals
23
Digital revenue for broadcasters grew 18% to $2.1 billion in 2022
24
ABC News division revenue estimated at $1.1 billion in 2022
25
Local news revenue per DMA market leader was $45 million in top markets 2022
26
Broadcast TV M&A activity totaled $8.7 billion in deals in 2022
27
News programming generated 22% of local station revenue in 2022
Interpretation
Revenue and Financial Statistics Interpretation
Broadcast television is still a multi-billion-dollar Leviathan stubbornly swimming in the digital sea, where every dip in advertising is fiercely countered by a surge in political spending, sports fees, and the life support of retransmission cash.
05 · Category
Viewership Statistics30 stats
01
In 2023, the Super Bowl LVII broadcast on Fox averaged 115.1 million viewers, marking the second most-watched U.S. broadcast in history
02
During the 2022-2023 TV season, CBS led broadcast networks with an average of 5.13 million total viewers in primetime
03
NBC's primetime audience averaged 3.55 million viewers in the 2022-2023 season among total viewers
04
ABC averaged 3.92 million primetime viewers in the 2022-2023 TV season
05
Fox broadcast network averaged 2.76 million primetime viewers during 2022-2023
06
The 2023 Oscars on ABC drew 18.7 million total viewers, down 9% from the previous year
07
NFL games on broadcast TV averaged 17.9 million viewers per game in 2023 regular season
08
The 2023 NCAA March Madness championship game on CBS averaged 14.1 million viewers
09
Primetime live + same-day viewership for broadcast networks fell 5% year-over-year in Q1 2023 to 20.3 million
10
Households using TV averaged 3 hours and 43 minutes per day in 2023, with broadcast TV contributing 21% of usage
11
In 2022, the finale of ABC's The Bachelor averaged 5.7 million live+same-day viewers
12
CBS's 60 Minutes averaged 6.2 million viewers in the 2022-2023 season
13
Fox News Sunday averaged 1.8 million total viewers in Q1 2023, leading morning shows
14
NBC's Sunday Night Football averaged 19.9 million viewers in 2022 season
15
The 2023 Grammy Awards on CBS drew 16.8 million viewers, up 31% from prior year
16
Broadcast TV share of total TV usage was 19% in May 2023, per Nielsen Gauge
17
ABC's Good Morning America averaged 2.4 million viewers in 2023
18
In 2023, live sports accounted for 90% of broadcast TV's top 50 telecasts by viewership
19
The View on ABC averaged 2.5 million viewers daily in 2022-2023 daytime slot
20
Fox's Tucker Carlson Tonight averaged 3.2 million viewers before cancellation in 2023
21
NBC Nightly News averaged 6.1 million viewers in 2023
22
CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell averaged 5.3 million in 2023
23
ABC World News Tonight led with 7.8 million average viewers in 2023 evenings
24
The 2023 CMA Awards on ABC averaged 9.8 million viewers
25
Broadcast networks' primetime viewership among adults 18-49 was 0.52 rating in 2022-2023
26
Wheel of Fortune averaged 5.9 million viewers in syndication 2022-2023
27
Jeopardy! averaged 6.4 million viewers in 2022-2023 syndication
28
Live + 7 day ratings boosted ABC's The Conners finale to 4.1 million viewers
29
In Q4 2022, broadcast TV viewing time per TV household was 44 hours 15 minutes
30
The 2023 Tony Awards on CBS drew 4.8 million viewers
Interpretation
Viewership Statistics Interpretation
The only script broadcast television still follows religiously is a live sports schedule, with news and game shows serving as commercial breaks for the entire industry.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Broadcast Television Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/broadcast-television-industry-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Broadcast Television Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/broadcast-television-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Broadcast Television Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/broadcast-television-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
54 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level