The 2026 Super Bowl Will Take Place On February 8
On February 8, the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots will face off in the biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl. This year’s big game will be held at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the home of the San Francisco 49ers.
Of course, we tune in to watch a riveting football game, but, like so many people, we also watch the big game for the commercials. One of the best companies to put out commercials every year is Budweiser.
Luckily for us, we don’t have to wait until the actual Super Bowl to watch Budweiser’s commercial.
On January 15, the company released a teaser for the commercial featuring five Clydesdale horses and a mystery animal. The horses were in the stable, marveling at an animal moving beneath a silver bucket.
A second teaser was released on January 22nd in a video titled “Foal.” The teaser featured a foal running in the pasture, seemingly being the mystery animal, but there’s no way a foal could have fit under the silver bucket that small in the previous teaser, seeing as foals weigh between 120-150lbs and stand 3-3.5 feet tall at the shoulder at birth.
So at that point, the mystery animal’s identity remained unknown…
Budweiser Releases 2026 Super Bowl Commercial
As expected, Budweiser released their 2026 Super Bowl Commercial early. The one-minute clip, titled “American Icons,” dropped on Monday, January 26.
The ad opens with a clip of the Clydesdale foal venturing outside, where it finds the mystery animal, revealed to be a tiny eaglet, next to a fallen tree. The two creatures become fast friends.
When the weather warms, the foal helps the eaglet learn how to fly by running through the field with the little chick on its back. They continue working together as they grow up and the seasons change.
In a stunning moment, the now-adult Clydesdale leaps over the fallen tree, and the now-grown bald eagle spreads its wings, making the horse look like a mythical pegasus as the sun shines down on them.
Then, the eagle takes off and soars on its own. A clip cuts to someone pouring a glass of Budweiser, with a message on the screen reading, “Made of America…For 150 Years, This Bud’s For You.” Budweiser worked with an eagle from the American Eagle Foundation to film the project.
Two men, holding cans of Budweiser, watch the eagle and Clydesdale in the field in front of them. One of the men asks, “Are you crying?” prompting the other very-cleary-teary-eyed man to say, “The sun’s in my eyes.” One of those men is Brian Fransen, a real-life barely farmer for Budweiser.
The clip was appropriately set to the tune of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s iconic hit, “Free Bird.”
Todd Allen, the SVP of Marketing for Budweiser at Anheuser-Busch, released a statement about the ad to PEOPLE.
“As we celebrate Budweiser’s 150th anniversary and America’s 250th birthday, we knew we had to rise to the occasion in a way only Budweiser can. ‘American Icons’ brings our heritage to life through powerful storytelling with the Budweiser Clydesdales and an American Bald Eagle. This year’s spot will leave fans awestruck and proud to enjoy a Budweiser as they celebrate our shared milestone moments.”
Be one of the first to watch Budweiser’s 2026 Super Bowl commercial in the video below.
People React To Budweiser’s 2026 Super Bowl Commercial
Reactions poured in after Budweiser released its 2026 Super Bowl commercial. Some of the comments left on the video on YouTube included:
“Compassion for one another. I was bawling at the end.”
“I think A-B has outdid itself with all the other commercials they’ve ever done, this was good and should get an award.”
“That moment that the horse appeared with wings was very very moving.”
“Best commercials. This one gave me chills.”
“Legit the best commercial to date.”
People also reacted to the ad on Instagram, leaving comments such as:
“Nothing better than a Budweiser commercial with a baby Clydesdale and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird in the background.”
“Absolutely LOVE it. Another classic Budweiser commercial.“
“My favorite Budweiser commercial ever !!!“
“I can’t stop watching…or crying.”
“I think we are all crying.”
“Might be the best one yet!!!!“
“I’ve never felt so alive.“
“No, no I’m definitely crying.“
“*EAGLE SCREECH*“
“You never fail!! Another classic!“
“GREAT symbolism on several levels! Well done Budweiser.“
What did you think of Budweiser’s 2026 Super Bowl commercial?