Automakers spent less on national TV both in Q2 and
year-to-date and household TV ad impressions also fell dramatically.
Second quarter estimated national TV spending tallied $437.9 million, down 8.2% year-over-year vs. $477.2
million in Q2 2024, according to iSpot.tv. The year-to-date spending totaled $1.2 billion, down 1.3% year-over-year.
Household TV ad impressions for Q2 2025 totaled 50.5 billion,
down 19.5% year over year compared to 62.7 billion. Year-to-date impressions totaled 107.1 billion, down 14.9% year-over-year compared to 125.8 billion, per iSpot.tv.
The top five
brands by estimate national TV ad spending for Q2 were Hyundai ($47.9 million), Kia ($41 million), Nissan ($35.5 million), Lexus ($32.3 million) and Subaru ($27.9 million).
Sports-related programming accounted for over 65% of the auto industry’s total national linear TV ad spend in Q2, led by the NBA (29% of total spend), followed by men’s college
basketball (10%), according to iSpot.tv.
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Kia leaned into the NBA the most, allocating over 61% of its total Q2 spend to games. On the flip side, Subaru was the only top-five
automaker that skipped NBA games, and instead prioritized outlay to morning news programs "Today" and "Good Morning America."
The top five brands by share of automaker household TV
ad impressions in Q2 2025 were Hyundai (10.58%), Toyota (9.00%). Lexus (8.60%), Chevrolet (6.91%) and Kia (6.48%), according to iSpot.tv.
The top five brands by share of voice on
streaming in Q2 2025 were Hyundai (11.69%), Lexus (8.47%), Nissan (7.69%), Toyota (6.70%) and Jeep (6.02%).
The most-seen automaker ads by share of household TV ad impressions
in second quarter were Genesis: No Old Ideas (2.50%); Subaru: Consumer Reports 2025 Most Reliable Automotive Brand (1.93%); Nissan: Since 1983 (1.85%); Chevrolet: Dependability Comes Standard (1.72%); and Hyundai: The Hyundai Way: Customer Assurance (1.68%).
The top automaker ads by likeability per iSpot.tv among the top 20 most-seen ads in Q2 2025 were Subaru: Dog Tested: On Repeat
(+16.6% more likeable than Q2 automotive norm); Lexus: Baby on Board (+8.8%); Volkswagen: Bob the Dog (+8.7%); Nissan: Since
1983 (+8.1%); and Genesis: Blank Canvas (+7.1%).
The top automaker ads by positive purchase intent among the
top 20 most-seen ads in Q2 2025 were Lexus: Baby on Board (60%); Nissan: Since 1983 (55%); Genesis: Blank Canvas (55%);
Subaru: Dog Tested: On Repeat (54%); and Ford: Committed to America (53%).
In Q2, babies and dogs were a winning combination for Lexus. In its
“Baby on Board” spot, two parents-to-be are preparing for the arrival of twins — an event met dubiously by their dogs. But thanks to the ’25 TX’s three-row seating, the
whole family fits.
The spot was among the top five auto ads for likeability as well as positive purchase intent, according to iSpot.tv. It also scored well above the
automotive norms for watchability, relevance and attention, with 25% of surveyed viewers saying the characters were the “single best thing” about the spot.