XR State of Pay: Celebrity Pay Surges in U.S. Advertising

Celebrity fueled advertising has entered a new era and is showing no signs of slowing down. According to XR’s 2025 State of Pay report, which looks at trends in advertising production and talent payments, brands are investing in recognizable talent at levels that redefine what star driven marketing looks like. And it’s not just for Super Bowl spots.

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The XR State of Pay report analyzed nearly two hundred thousand U.S. commercial productions and talent payments worth more than $8 billion between 2019 and 2025. The data shows guaranteed advertising spending on celebrities, including actors, athletes, musicians, and social influencers exceeded one billion dollars in 2025. That figure represents more than forty seven percent growth since 2019 and signals a lasting shift in how brands compete for attention.

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“Advertising is entering a talent-first era,” said John Batter, CEO of XR. “Spending on athletes, celebrities and creators isn’t just rebounding, it’s surpassing all pre-pandemic norms with no signs of slowing. Brands are concentrating budgets around recognizable talent that can break through, and the data shows that strategy is now central to the campaign performance of the world’s biggest brands.”

While actors continue to rule the ranks of celebrity pay, the biggest growth is coming from sports stars, where athlete guarantees have climbed more than one hundred percent since 2019. Football and basketball talent dominate the athlete category in both deal volume and average contract size with familiar faces from the NFL and NBA pairing with top consumer brands.

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The reason for this momentum? Simply put, star power works and athletes can appeal to audiences across generations, race, and gender demographics.

The rise of women’s basketball has become one of the most striking developments in the talent landscape according to the XR State of Pay data. Guarantees for women’s basketball players from the WNBA have increased more than thirtyfold in five years as fan engagement surges.

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Whether it’s stars of the gridiron or the big screen the takeaway is unmistakable: star powered advertising is here to stay. It is establishing itself as a long running trend, and brands show no signs of slowing their investment in recognizable talent.

Contact us to get the full XR State of Pay 2025 report and to learn more about XR's industry leading Talent, Commercial, and Entertainment payments platform.