Animals, Children Played Super Bowl LX To Draw

The team with the animal mascot (the Seahawks) won Super Bowl LX, but what about the ad battle? How did animals fare during commercial breaks?

Data from iSpot expands upon the data behind popular Big Game costars like kids and animals to see who came out ahead:

• For years, animals were a tried-and-true winner for Super Bowl ads, before kids officially surpassed them by share of ads appeared in come 2017.
• Since then, it's been a back-and-forth battle, with kids taking their most decisive lead yet – 37% to 25% – in 2025.
• But this year, animals and kids finished in a dead heat, at 26% apiece, as many ads moved away from hallmarks like humor, celebrity and characters to be a little more product-focused.
• Among the top five Super Bowl ads (by likeability) of 2026, kids starred in the NFL's belief spot and Universal Orlando's "Little Man." But dogs were out in front of Ring's ad, while animals also appeared in spots for top brands like Amazon Alexa and Pepsi Zero Sugar.