• by Teresa Buyikian , August 1, 2024

QSRs are, and have been for years, one of the biggest category spenders on national linear TV media. A recently released 2024 Mid-Year TV Transparency Report from iSpot.TV reaffirms this, with QSR advertising representing 4.17% of TV ad impressions, falling only behind the networks’ own advertising at 13.45%.

Burger King dominated the QSR category as the big spender; the brand bought over $102 million in TV media in the first half of 2024 (down just under 3% from 2023). Following Burger King is Wendy’s at almost $97 million (up over 5% from last year) and Taco Bell just over $90 million (down 10%, but more on this below).

The report also revealed that while overall national linear ad spend is down just 2.8% YoY, QSR dropped even more: 6.6% YoY. And, subsequently, “many of the brands that decreased spend also saw TV ad reach decline,” John Cassillo, analyst at TVREV, told QSR Insider.

Yet while national linear buys are down, buys on streaming platforms are up, especially for Taco Bell. Despite spending 10% less on linear TV than in 2023, the brand has since massively upped its streaming game with buys on YouTube, Roku, Hulu and Pluto TV, among others. Since moving dollars to streaming, in the last six months “Taco Bell ranked first in streaming SOV with 10.69% of all QSR impressions, but only seventh in linear, highlighting the brand’s strong digital presence,” per the report. 

 “If they went toward more streaming and/or local TV ad campaigns, that’s potentially by design,” Cassillo elaborated. “And even with less raw spend and reach, they’re reaching more targeted audiences by changing their approach.”

This streaming, more targeted approach is in line with Taco Bell’s “Liv Más” marketing platform of the last several years. The brand has put a particular focus on building its own fan community with live music events and product launches squarely aimed at their Gen Z demo, as well as scholarships and merchandise collaborations.

Most other QSR brands maintained a relatively balanced media spend between linear and streaming platforms, similar to the previous year, per the report.