NFL Scoring Double-Digit TV Ad Impressions Growth At Midseason

The NFL is a behemoth on TV — and one that apparently still has room to grow.

A new report from iSpot shows that through week 8, the league’s national linear games are delivering 12% more household TV ad impressions year-over-year, further underlining the importance of live sports (and the NFL in particular) with entertainment work stoppages limiting scripted programming this fall.

For advertisers, though, it’s not enough to just show up alongside NFL games. Audiences actually have to like the ads. iSpot Creative Assessment data revealed that ads from King’s Hawaiian, Taco Bell and Little Caesars have been the most likeable football-themed spots of the season so far. And importantly, nine of the top 10 most-likeable football-themed ads featured players.

While NFL advertisers have long leaned on commercials that nodded to the action on the field, it’s becoming an even bigger focus for advertisers as the NFL sets thematics for many of the spots that appear during games. The top three most-seen spokespeople by TV ad impressions during NFL games this season have been players — Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) and Christian McCaffrey. Kelce, in particular, has appeared in 3% of all NFL TV ad impressions this year. Brands also leaned into Kelce after his budding relationship with Taylor Swift went public, fueling him to as many as 52 airings during a single week of NFL games.

You can see the “Swift Lift” in action for Chiefs games, too. The team appeared in two of the top three NFL games by TV ad impressions, and three of the top six so far this season. However, the Cowboys were the team regularly delivering high TV ad impressions for games. Dallas appeared in five of the top 10 — including the No. 1 game — and many of those weren’t even in primetime.

Regardless of who’s playing, though, all sorts of brands are flocking to NFL games to reach consumers. Plenty like GEICO, Progressive, Bud Light and others are among the most-seen year after year and the league is a large part of their annual media strategy. But for brands like Chili’s, The Farmer’s Dog and Lululemon, who did not advertise during NFL games last season, the NFL presented an opportunity to deliver campaigns to the largest TV audience possible.

While both the writers and actors strikes are over, it’ll still be months before there is any substantial progress on scripted programming for the 2023-24 season (if it happens at all). As a result, all eyes will continue to be on the NFL as TV’s biggest opportunity for ad reach, and one brands are willing to jump into despite the associated costs.