Backstreet’s Back…in a Super Bowl Ad War?
T-Mobile and Coinbase both tapped the 90s boy band, leading to a surprising double-dose of nostalgia during the big game.
- The Backstreet Boys appeared in two separate Super Bowl 60 commercials: one for T-Mobile and another for Coinbase.
- T-Mobile secured the rights to “I Want It That Way” after a near bidding war with other brands.
- Coinbase’s ad, a karaoke-style spot featuring “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” aimed to recapture the excitement of its 2022 Super Bowl debut.
- Despite industry headwinds, Coinbase was the only cryptocurrency brand to advertise during the 2026 Super Bowl.
- T-Mobile’s ad performed better in initial engagement metrics, ranking 17th out of 98 ads measured by EDO.
The Super Bowl wasn’t just about football this year; it was a full-blown nostalgia trip, complete with celebrity cameos, 90s throwbacks, and a surprising amount of attention on GLP-1 medications and sports betting. But amidst it all, the Backstreet Boys found themselves at the center of an unexpected brand battle. The group’s 1999 hit, “I Want It That Way,” unexpectedly soundtracked a flamboyant, star-studded T-Mobile ad during the second quarter, featuring Machine Gun Kelly, comedian Druski, and actor Pierson Fodé.
A Boy Band Blitz
But the Backstreet Boys’ Super Bowl appearance didn’t end there. During the same quarter, a slightly altered version of their anthem, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” played in a lo-fi, karaoke-inspired ad revealed to be for cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. The brand described the spot as “an ode to crypto” in a blog post, emphasizing that cryptocurrency is accessible to the roughly 52 million Americans who have already used it.
The decision to feature the Backstreet Boys in T-Mobile’s ad came from Andrew Panay, producer of “Wedding Crashers” and head of Panay Films, responsible for many of T-Mobile’s most memorable campaigns. He described his decision as a “spiritual” experience after seeing the band perform at The Sphere in Las Vegas last summer.
Securing the rights to “I Want It That Way” wasn’t easy. Panay revealed that multiple brands were vying to use the song in their Super Bowl commercials. “I licensed the song, I put money down, and then more brands came after it,” he said, adding that it almost escalated into a bidding war, which he ultimately stopped. T-Mobile declined to provide further comment.
Coinbase Doubles Down
Coinbase stated they weren’t one of the brands pursuing “I Want It That Way,” and had planned to use “Everybody” from the beginning. Their karaoke-style ad materialized quickly after their creative agency, Isle of Any, based in New York, pitched the idea in the fall of 2025.
Joe Staples, vice president of creative at Coinbase, described the concept as “wildly participatory,” drawing a parallel between the Super Bowl experience and a lively karaoke night: “Same amount of people, same amount of inebriation, same amount of playfulness. It just seemed to fit.”
What’s the best way to stand out during the Super Bowl? Coinbase aimed to deliver standout creative four years after its 2022 Super Bowl ad featuring a floating QR code—a defining moment that helped the brand gain recognition during the “Crypto Bowl.”
However, the crypto landscape has shifted since then. FTX, a former Coinbase competitor that also advertised in the 2022 Super Bowl, has since been bankrupted and its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud. A recent crypto selloff in February 2026 saw Bitcoin’s value drop 20% since the start of the year.
Despite these challenges, Coinbase was the sole cryptocurrency brand to invest in a Super Bowl spot this year, with NBCUniversal charging upwards of $10 million for a 30-second in-game ad. Staples justified the investment, stating, “There aren’t many forums with 120 million people watching.”
A Strategic Choice
Coinbase believed the Backstreet Boys were the perfect fit for their message and weren’t deterred by T-Mobile’s simultaneous use of the band. Staples even suggested the comparison could be beneficial, generating buzz and highlighting the distinct approaches of both brands. “They’re very different approaches to advertising,” he said.
Panay didn’t disclose whether T-Mobile was aware of Coinbase’s plans, but he emphasized the Backstreet Boys’ broad appeal: “The Backstreet Boys have legacy, they have freshness, they have long-time fans, new fans, male and female fans. Gen Z and boomers know their music. They have extremely broad appeal.”
Neither brand revealed the total cost of their campaigns. Advertising industry insiders were amused by the Backstreet Boys’ double appearance. “Two ads featuring the Backstreet Boys was not on my Super Bowl bingo card,” said Jon Laughlin, chief creative officer at Laughlin Constable.
Many creatives favored the Coinbase spot. Annika Welander, CEO of Someoddpilot, praised it as “creative that punches so far out of its weight class.” Amir Sahba, founder and CEO of Thinkingbox, however, believed T-Mobile’s ad was more emotionally resonant: “T-Mobile gave us something to feel. Coinbase gave us something confusing to figure out in real time.”
Initial data from EDO’s TV Outcomes rankings indicated T-Mobile’s ad performed better, ranking 17th out of 98, while Coinbase’s ad ranked 47th, based on immediate engagement metrics predictive of future sales.
