Nissan's Price Slash Ad Grabs Top Spot on Auto TV Commercials
Top Auto Ads Capitalize on NBA Playoffs' Wide Reach
In the week of May 12-18, 2025, the NBA playoffs significantly contributed to the success of top auto TV ad campaigns. According to data provided by iSpot, the playoffs reached nearly 30% of U.S. households, making it a key platform for auto advertisers to maximize their ad impressions and audience reach.
Among the top auto ads was Hyundai's "Hello, Space" advertisement, which garnered 93,457,831 impressions, with nearly 40% coming from NBA games. Another notable contender was Subaru, which occupied the third and fourth most-seen automaker spots in the ranking. With a combined 199,700,000 national TV ad impressions, Subaru was also named the 2025 Most Reliable and Best Overall Automotive Brand by Consumer Reports.
One of Subaru's ads, featuring a dog family, had 104,700,000 impressions, with 22.2% from reality TV. Another ad, highlighting Subaru's top ranking, had 95,016,988 impressions. The interruption rate for these Subaru ads was 3.11% and 2.72% respectively.
Hyundai's ad for the 3-row 2026 IONIQ 9 also benefited from the NBA playoffs, earning 93,500,000 impressions. Genesis' ad for the '26 GV70 had an impressive 141,981,164 impressions, with 57% from primetime ad airings and 16% from NBA games.
Meanwhile, other brands opted for a different approach. Restaurant brands effectively broke through on Connected TV (CTV) in May, using streaming platforms and non-live sports programming to engage viewers. Chewy was also noted for significant reach through other sports or programming segments separate from the NBA playoffs.
This demonstrates a dual strategy where auto advertisers capitalized on the NBA playoffs' wide reach, while other sectors diversified their TV ad placements using varied programming to connect with their respective audiences.
Basketball and sports led to an increase in impressions for automotive ads during the 2025 NBA playoffs, with Hyundai's "Hello, Space" advertisement earning 93,457,831 impressions from NBA games. Subaru also benefited, earning 199,700,000 national TV ad impressions, with 2 of their ads having impressions from both NBA games and reality TV.
