NBA Playoffs Witness Successful Run for Television Commercials
In the world of television advertising, major sports events like the NBA playoffs can offer a goldmine of opportunities for brands to reach large, engaged audiences. According to data provided by iSpot, several automakers took advantage of this potential during the recent playoffs.
Subaru's "Dog Tested: On Repeat" advertisement managed to grab 101,696,346 national TV ad impressions, with an interruption rate of 3.01%. The Attention Index for this ad was 98, indicating that it performed slightly below the average for its media placement.
Hyundai, on the other hand, leaned heavily into the NBA playoffs with its "Customer Assurance" advertisement. Games delivered 46% of its total impressions, resulting in a total of 146.2 million impressions. Despite this strong performance, it slipped from the first place to No.2.
Meanwhile, Genesis' GV70 advertisement became the most viewed automobile commercial during May 5-11, with a staggering 169 million national TV ad impressions. Sports, particularly the NHL and NBA, played a sizable role in achieving reach for the ad, delivering 24% and 8% of total impressions respectively.
Buick also made a significant impact with a spot promoting various models. The advertisement garnered 107,425,300 national TV ad impressions, with over half (53%) coming from primetime ad airings. Sports, again, played a key role, with the NBA delivering 20% of total impressions and the NHL generating 15%.
The attention index for Buick's advertisement was 102, suggesting that it performed as expected for its media placement. In comparison, Subaru's "Dog Tested: On Repeat" advertisement had an estimated national TV ad spend of $1,048,235, while Buick's advertisement cost $660,716.
Infiniti's advertisement promoting the QX80 also made a mark, with 110.8 million national TV ad impressions. Nearly a third (31%) of viewers said the product itself was the "single best thing" about the ad.
While automotive ads tend to benefit from high-profile sports seasons with large national TV audiences, direct empirical data on how the NBA playoffs specifically affect national TV ad impressions for Genesis, Hyundai, Infiniti, and Buick is limited. However, the large, engaged audience of the NBA playoffs likely creates valuable ad inventory, offering significant TV impressions for automakers.
References:
- Luka Doncic goes viral for driving Rimac Nevera
- Toyota and Lakers partnership celebrates 50 years
- Hyundai and Lexus generate millions of impressions during 2024-25 NFL season
- NBA media coverage and advertising around events like the NBA Finals
- NBA playoffs and their impact on TV ad impressions for automakers
The NBA playoffs provided a valuable platform for automakers, as evidenced by Genesis' GV70 advertisement, which amassed 169 million national TV ad impressions, with sports, particularly basketball, contributing significantly to its reach.
Buick also saw a boost in TV ad impressions, with their advertisement promoting various models gaining 107 million impressions, a considerable portion of which came from NBA games.
