Kantar media’s latest report shows Q1 ad spending increased 8% compared to last year. The main reason: sports marketing. Spending rose from $16.5 billion in Q1 2011 to $17.8 billion in Q1 2012, thanks to a plethora of live sporting events like the NCAA Tournament and Super Bowl. “Without all those sports dollars, the increases would have been much more modest,” said Adweek.