Most Super Bowl Ads Still Fail Bechdel Test

Despite growing female viewership, gender representation in big game ads lags behind.

Feb. 8, 2026 at 5:15pm

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Even after the 'Taylor Swift effect' led to increased female viewership of the Super Bowl in recent years, a new analysis shows that the majority of Super Bowl ads still fail to meet the basic Bechdel test for gender representation, with most ads featuring only men or depicting women in secondary or stereotypical roles.

Why it matters

The Bechdel test is a widely used benchmark for evaluating the representation of women in media. The fact that most Super Bowl ads, which are among the most high-profile and expensive advertising content, continue to fall short on this measure highlights the persistent gender imbalance in the advertising industry and the missed opportunity to authentically connect with the growing female fan base of the NFL's marquee event.

The details

The analysis, conducted by the advertising research firm Cannes Lions, examined all 65 Super Bowl ads that aired during the 2026 game. It found that only 18 of the ads (27%) featured two or more women talking to each other about something other than a man. The remaining 73% of ads either had no women at all or depicted women in supporting roles focused on their appearance or relationship to men.

  • The 2026 Super Bowl took place on February 2, 2026.

The players

Cannes Lions

An advertising research firm that conducted the analysis of gender representation in 2026 Super Bowl ads.

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What they’re saying

“While the NFL has made strides in attracting a more diverse fan base, the advertising industry as a whole still has work to do in authentically representing women in their biggest showcase of the year.”

— Sarah Hofstetter, Chief Strategy Officer, Cannes Lions (Adweek)

The takeaway

The persistent gender imbalance in Super Bowl advertising, even as female viewership of the game has grown, underscores the need for the advertising industry to make more concerted efforts to authentically depict women in their creative content and better connect with the expanding female fan base of the NFL's marquee event.