TLDR
- Anthropic’s Claude chatbot saw an 11% increase in daily active users and a 6.5% jump in site visits after its Super Bowl ad, beating competitors OpenAI, Google Gemini, and Meta
- Claude climbed from No. 41 to No. 7 on the U.S. App Store following the Super Bowl campaign, its highest ranking to date
- The Super Bowl ad criticized OpenAI’s decision to introduce ads to ChatGPT, prompting OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to call it “deceptive” and “clearly dishonest”
- Anthropic closed a $30 billion funding round at a $380 billion valuation this week, more than double its September valuation
- Claude’s U.S. downloads hit 148,000 from Sunday through Tuesday after the game, up 32% from the prior three-day period
Anthropic’s Super Bowl advertisement delivered measurable results for its Claude chatbot. The company saw an 11% increase in daily active users following the big game. Site visits jumped 6.5% in the days after the commercial aired.
sneak peek of Anthropic's 2026 Super Bowl ad pic.twitter.com/6v5ZFiHYgO
— Luke Metro (@luke_metro) February 16, 2026
The ad campaign took direct aim at rival OpenAI’s decision to bring advertisements to ChatGPT. Anthropic positioned Claude as an AI assistant that does not serve ads to users. The approach resonated with consumers watching the Super Bowl, which drew 125 million viewers in the U.S.
Data from BNP Paribas shows Claude outperformed other AI competitors in post-Super Bowl gains. OpenAI’s ChatGPT saw a 2.7% bump in daily active users. Google Gemini added 1.4% to its user base.
The Super Bowl push helped Claude climb the App Store rankings. The chatbot moved from No. 41 to No. 7 on the U.S. App Store. This marks Claude’s best ranking to date.
Appfigures estimates show Claude’s combined U.S. downloads on iOS and Android reached 148,000 from Sunday through Tuesday after the game. This represents a 32% increase from the 112,000 downloads in the prior Thursday through Saturday period. Daily average installs rose from 37,400 to 49,200.
Competition Heats Up Between AI Companies
The Super Bowl featured multiple AI companies running commercials. OpenAI, Meta, Google Gemini, and Anthropic all competed for viewer attention. The advertising battle reflects the intense competition in the AI market.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded publicly to Anthropic’s ad campaign. He posted on social media platform X calling the commercials “deceptive” and “clearly dishonest.” The public criticism marks a shift in the previously quiet rivalry between the two companies.
Both Anthropic and OpenAI are competing for enterprise customers and top coding talent. The companies are also raising record amounts of private funding. Anthropic closed a $30 billion funding round this week at a $380 billion post-money valuation.
This valuation more than doubles Anthropic’s worth from its September fundraising round. OpenAI still leads in fundraising with the largest private tech round ever completed last year. The company is currently in talks for a potential $100 billion funding round.
Market Impact and User Base
Claude’s user base remains smaller than ChatGPT and Gemini despite the recent gains. The App Store ranking improvement represents progress for Anthropic’s consumer strategy. Global downloads for Claude also increased 15% during the same period.
The uplift appears to combine effects from both the Super Bowl ads and Anthropic’s recent release of its Opus 4.6 model. This contrasts with Claude’s iOS debut in May 2024. At that time, the app reached only 157,000 global installs in its first week and never rose above No. 55 in U.S. rankings.
Both companies are heading toward potential IPOs later in 2026. The Super Bowl advertising battle adds another layer to their rivalry. Executives from both companies have become more vocal about criticizing each other’s businesses in recent weeks.
Anthropic’s Super Bowl campaign positioned Claude around darkly comic warnings about ad-driven AI assistants. The messaging strategy differentiated Claude from competitors by emphasizing its ad-free model. The approach generated early momentum in Anthropic’s consumer funnel based on the download and ranking data.
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