The price tag for ad space in next year’s Super Bowl will be bigger than it’s ever been. 

NBC is reportedly asking $6 million for a 30-second commercial spot and might require sponsors to buy an equal amount of advertising in the Beijing Winter Olympics to guarantee a prominent time slot in the big game.

Comcast’s NBC also has broadcasting rights to the Tokyo Olympics next month.

Last year, CBS asked for $5.5 million per spot. The broadcaster generated roughly $545 million in in-game advertising for a total of 57 minutes, including promos and national and local spots, according to Kantar.

The 9.1% hike comes even as the NFL’s ratings decreased last season.

• This year’s Super Bowl between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs recorded only 96.4 million viewers — the lowest since 2007.
• According to Nielsen, numbers for the regular season dropped 7% to 15.4 million viewers either live or on the same day of the broadcast — the lowest average since 2017.

Overall viewership of the NFL has declined in five of the past six years, but the league still generates more annual revenue than any other major league in North America, bringing in $15.26 billion in 2019.

NBC recently signed a 10-year deal with the NFL in which it’ll pay $2 billion annually for media rights. The network will retain its “Sunday Night Football” package and holds broadcasting rights to the 2026, 2030, and 2034 Super Bowls.

Super Bowl LVI takes place on Feb. 13, 2022.

Super Bowl LV pitted a rising superstar against an NFL legend. Now, Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady will face off again on the cover of EA’s “Madden 22.”

It is the second cover of the iconic video game for both quarterbacks and the first two-player cover since the 2010 edition.

The two signal callers possess the biggest brands in the sport right now. 

• They are the NFL’s top two earners off the field, per Forbes, with Brady pocketing $31 million and Mahomes $26 million in endorsements for the 12 months ending May 1. Brady’s total earnings of $76 million placed ninth among all athletes, and Mahomes was 15th with $54.5 million.
• Brady launched media company 199 Productions in 2020 and has a lifestyle brand, TB12, as well as an NFT company called Autograph. His sponsorships include Under Armour, T-Mobile, and Fanatics.
• Mahomes has invested in WHOOP and Hyperice. His sponsors include adidas, Biosteel, and “Madden” producer Electronic Arts.

In-game transactions for EA’s “Ultimate Team” games, “Madden NFL 21,” “FIFA 21,” and “NHL 21,” brought in $1.6 billion of the company’s $5.6 billion in revenue in the fiscal year ending March 31. 

The game’s AI will adjust how players perform in the game based on their real-world results for the 2021 season. That could affect Brady or Mahomes, should either fall victim to the “Madden curse,” a phenomenon dating back to 1998 in which the game’s cover athlete gets injured the following year.

ByteDance isn’t showing any signs of slowing down — it’s actually gaining steam. 

The owner of TikTok and Chinese counterpart Douyin reported $34.3 billion in revenue for 2020, a 111% increase year-over-year. Gross profit reached $19 billion, a 93% uptick, according to CNBC. 

The China-based private company reportedly has a valuation of more than $100 billion. 

ByteDance is continuing its takeover, with 1.9 billion monthly users across its platforms at the end of 2020. 

TikTok, the company’s bread and butter, has more than 100 million users in the U.S. and 700 million total monthly active users worldwide. 

Outside of social media apps, ByteDance is establishing a footprint in the gaming industry. 

• Unveiled Danjuan Games in October. The gaming platform specializes in casual games such as puzzle titles. 
• Launched Pixmain in November, the company’s flagship publishing arm.
• Acquired mobile game developer and publisher Moonton Technology in March in a deal valued at $4 billion, per Reuters. 

However, investing in new businesses has come at a cost. 

ByteDance reported an operating loss of $2.1 billion compared to $684 million a year prior.