State Farm Pulls Super Bowl Ad: ‘Our Focus Is Providing Support to the People of Los Angeles’

With the wildfires still raging all across Los Angeles, State Farm – the largest property insurer in California – has decided to pull a commercial they were planning to broadcast during the Super Bowl on February 9.

“State Farm, its agents, and employees are all focused on helping customers impacted by the Southern California wildfires in the midst of this tragedy,” a spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. “Our focus is firmly on providing to support to the people of Los Angeles. We will not be advertising during the game as originally planned.”

More from Rolling Stone

• JP Saxe Will 'Raise a Bunch of Money' for LA Fire Victims During NYC Benefit Show

• Taylor Swift Donates to L.A. Fire Relief Funds: 'So Much Suffering'

• Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Jelly Roll, Stevie Nicks, and More Will Play FireAid Benefit Concert

Last year, advertisers paid an average of $7 million to broadcast a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl. With insurance claims coming into State Farm likely to total well in the billions, airing a commercial would have been a bad look for the insurance giant, especially after news hit that they dropped 1,600 policies in the Pacific Palisades, the neighborhood hit hardest by the fires, due to wildfire concerns last year.

State Farm already received thousands of claims related to the fires, and many more are likely to arrive in the coming days and weeks. “We are proud to report that our customer contact is at 90%,” they told The Hollywood Reporter. “We’ve received over 7,400 home and auto claims, and we are putting tens of millions of dollars back into customers’ hands. These numbers will continue to rise as residents return and assess damage.”

The Super Bowl takes place Feb. 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. There’s no word on how the California fires will impact the event beyond State Farm yanking their ad. The Grammy’s are happening the prior weekend in Los Angeles. Many of the pre-parties have been cancelled, and the ceremony itself will double as a fundraiser for people impacted by the fires.

The Academy Awards, meanwhile, have twice delayed the announcement of this year’s nominees. The current plan is a virtual announcement on January 23. The ceremony will take place March 2 with Conan O’Brien serving as host.

Best of Rolling Stone

• Denzel Washington’s Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best

• 70 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century

• Risky Business: Every Tom Cruise Film, Ranked – Updated

Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.