USA TODAY's 38th Ad Meter competition opens

USA TODAY, part of USA TODAY Co., Inc. (NYSE: TDAY), launched the 38th annual Ad Meter competition, the industry’s leading opinion tool for gauging public sentiment about Super Bowl commercials. Since its debut in 1989, USA TODAY Ad Meter has remained a leading authority on Super Bowl advertising, addressing how the brands and spots drive sentiment and conversations related to sports, pop culture and the world of entertainment. Presented by State Farm®, the 2026 Ad Meter program delivers interactive rating tools, exclusive video content, and deep-dive analysis on the Super Bowl’s most talked‑about commercials.

Today through Feb. 9 at 12 midnight EST, registered Ad Meter participants can log in, watch and rate this year’s Super Bowl commercials to determine fan favorites and the official Ad Meter winner. For a submission to be counted, each participant must rate all eligible Super Bowl advertisements on a scale of 1 to 5. The 2026 Super Bowl Ad Meter winner will be announced live on “NBC’s TODAY” and at admeter.usatoday.com the morning after the game.

“USA TODAY’s Ad Meter has been the go-to barometer for Super Bowl ads for 38 years, serving as a gauge for the most groundbreaking and captivating commercials,” said USA TODAY Senior Vice President Monica Richardson. “Each year, Ad Meter reflects not only which ads resonate with viewers, but also how brands push creative boundaries on one of the world’s biggest advertising stages. This year, we’re thrilled to welcome State Farm as our presenting sponsor.”

“The Big Game is one of the few moments where the commercials are just as anticipated as the game itself,” said Kristyn Cook, chief agency, sales and officer at State Farm. “It’s a massive fan experience and USA TODAY Ad Meter is a unique opportunity to facilitate the national debate on what resonates the most. In addition to this sponsorship being a chance for us to celebrate marketing excellence, it also allows us to deepen our relationship with millions of viewers and keep fans thinking about State Farm long after the game.”

The USA TODAY Ad Meter School Spotlight program continues this year and includes marketing and advertising students from 16 institutions: Bentley University, Coastal Carolina University, Franklin College, Indiana University, Marist University, Michigan State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Northwestern University, Suffolk University, Syracuse University, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University, University of Cincinnati, University of Florida, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Washington State University that will use the USA TODAY Ad Meter platform to rate the national commercials. Students will evaluate which ads resonated with them, what they liked most, which fell short, and why. Their findings will be published in a post-Super Bowl USA TODAY Ad Meter story.

Additionally, rankings from select readers using a unique login available from USA TODAY Network publications — The Tennessean, The Des Moines Register, The Arizona Republic, Bergen Record, and Detroit Free Press, and USA TODAY’s For The Win — will publish alongside the national results, highlighting the regional and local pop culture perspective on the night’s biggest ads.

The 5th annual USA TODAY Ad Meter Summit, hosted in partnership with Stagwell Sport Beach Clubhouse, will take place on Feb. 5, in San Francisco, California, at Metreon. Brand panels moderated by USA TODAY Ad Meter Editor Rick Suter and USA TODAY "Entertain This!" Host and Producer Ralphie Aversa, will include industry leaders and marketers from 72andSunny, Anheuser-Busch, Grubhub, Hellmann’s, Instacart, NFL, PepsiCo, RITZ , and Toyota who will discuss their advertising strategies and share insights about their respective Super Bowl commercials alongside special celebrity guests.

Programming to support this year’s USA TODAY Ad Meter will include behind-the-scenes interviews featuring celebrity guests including Ben Stiller, Scarlett Johansson, Jon Hamm and Kurt Russell plus more on admeter.usatoday.com and the USA TODAY channel available on streaming platforms online, smartphones, or on TV, including Amazon Fire TV, Foxtel, Philo, Plex, The Roku Channel, TiVo, Vizio, Samsung TV Plus and more.

To register as an Ad Meter panelist and receive updates on commercials, rate the ads and more, visit admeter.usatoday.com. Uber Eats is an associate sponsor of the 2026 USA TODAY Ad Meter competition.

About USA TODAY:

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USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a sustainable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. Through our trusted brands, including the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations, including our network of local properties, in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom, we provide essential journalism, local content, and digital experiences to audiences and businesses. We deliver high-quality, trusted content with a commitment to balanced, unbiased journalism, where and when consumers want to engage. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, supports small and medium-sized businesses with innovative digital marketing products and solutions.