• by Tanya Gazdik , July 9, 2025

Both estimated national TV spending and household TV ad impressions fell in June for automakers.

June spending by automakers on national TV totaled $121.4 million, down 5.7% year-over-year compared to $128.8 million in June 2024, according to ispot.tv.

Year-to-date national TV spending totaled $1.2 billion, down 1.3% year over year compared to $1.2 billion in the same period of 2024.

Household TV ad impressions in June 2025 totaled 15.5 billion, down 25.2% compared to 20,7 billion in June 2024. Year-to-date household TV ad impressions totaled 107.1 billion, down 14.9% compared to 125.8 billion in the same period of 2024, according to ispot.tv.

The top five brands by estimated national TV ad spending in June were Kia ($12.1 million), Hyundai ($11.9 million), Lexus ($11.7 million), Nissan ($9.3 million) and Infiniti ($9.1 million). Infiniti launched a national campaign for the QX60.

Sports-related programming accounted for nearly 61% of the auto industry’s total national linear TV ad spend in June, led by the NBA (27% of total spend), followed by golf (10%), according to ispot.tv.

All of the top five automakers by spend activated around NBA games, with Lexus having the smallest investment — the NBA accounted for just 3.8% of its total spend during the month, but captured more than a third of spend for each of the other automakers. Lexus instead leaned into the U.S. Open golf championship (22.8% of its total spend). 

“Automakers leaned into tentpole sports programming in June, with a particular focus on the NBA Finals as a focal point to reach both broad viewership and potential autobuyers,” Stuart Schwartzapfel, executive vice president, media partnerships at iSpot, tells Marketing Daily. “Live sports are a smart investment for marketers, but when fueled by advanced audience data that shows an increased likelihood of business outcomes, it shows the true power of today’s TV environment.”

The top five brands by share of automaker household TV ad impressions in June were Toyota (10.64%), Hyundai (9.82%), Lexus (9.36%), Chevrolet (8.29%) and Kia (6.69%), according to ispot.tv.

The top five brands by share of voice on streaming in June 2025 were Hyundai (12.76%), Nissan (9.40%), Lexus (9.29%). Jeep (7.69%) and Toyota (6.93%).

The most-seen automaker ads by share of household TV ad impressions in June 2025 were Nissan: Since 1983 (3.93%), Kia: Make the Most of Summer (3.20%), Genesis: No Old Ideas (3.08%), Chevrolet: Dependability Comes Standard (2.78%) and Audi: Our Best, Made Better (2.40%).

The top automaker ads by likeability among the top 20 most-seen ads in June 2025 were Lexus: Baby on Board (+9.5% more likeable than June automotive norm), Volkswagen: Bob the Dog (+9.3%), Nissan: Since 1983 (+8.7%), Audi: Our Best, Made Better (6.5%) and Subaru: Push Your Limits(+6.0%), according to ispot.tv. As part of iSpot's creative assessment survey, likeability measures an ad's ability to appeal to viewers, based on results from the survey prompt “I like this ad.”

The top automaker ads by positive purchase intent among the top 20 most-seen ads in June were Lexus: Baby on Board (60%), Nissan: Since 1983 (55%), Hyundai: First Class (54%), Jeep: Wrangler x Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (53%) and Genesis: No Old Ideas  (53%), according to ispot.tv. Positive purchase intent is the share of creative assessment survey respondents that indicated they were "more" or "much more" likely to purchase a product or service after seeing an ad.

“Since 1983,” a promotion for Nissan’s Summer Sales Event, stood out in June not only from a reach standpoint, but from a creative aspect, according to iSpot.tv's assessment. 

The spot highlights how Nissan has been assembling its vehicles in America since 1983, with the automaker pledging to keep its lineup affordable and free from new tariffs —  as well as lowering MSRP on Rogue and Pathfinder models. This messaging resonated with consumers, scoring well above the automotive norms for desire, likeability, watchability, relevance and attention, according to iSpot.tv.