• by Tanya Gazdik , 3 hours ago

Automakers spent $76 million in estimated national linear TV spending in July, up 6.6% over $71.3 million a year ago.

Despite that uptick, year-to-date spending was down 14.7% to $1.06 billion, compared to $1.3 billion during the same period of 2025, according to iSpot.tv.

Household TV ad impressions were down both in July (12.4%) and year-to-date (15.5%).

The top five brands by estimated national linear TV ad spending in July were Volkswagen ($11.2 million), Toyota ($9.6 million), Kia ($8.2 million), Jeep ($6.8 million) and Ford ($5.9 million).

Combined, the English- and Spanish-language broadcasts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup accounted for over 50% of total automaker spend in July. Each of the top five brands had the FIFA World Cup (English or Spanish broadcasts) as the No. 1 program by outlay.

Beyond soccer, the MLB and WNBA drew activation from all five. Additionally, Toyota added NASCAR Cup Series and Ford anchored to the Macy's 4th of July Firework.

Outside sports, the leaders by automaker spend were "House Hunters" (0.82% spend SOV), "Operación triunfo" (0.63%) and "Today" (0.56%).

"The World Cup dominated automaker media buys for July, but the data also highlights untapped opportunities,” Stuart Schwartzapfel, executive vice president of media partnerships at iSpot.tv tells Marketing Daily. “Programs like 'America's Got Talent' and nightly broadcast news reached large numbers of auto intenders despite airing very few auto ads, suggesting there's still room to find efficient, high-value audiences outside the obvious sports placements."

The top five brands by share of automaker household TV ad impressions in July were Toyota (12.92%), Chevrolet (9.87%), Kia (8.91%), Ford (7.43%) and Hyundai (6.13%).

The top five brands by share of voice on streaming were Hyundai (8.83%), Toyota (8.78%), Jeep (6.91%), Ford (6.73%) and Nissan (6.62%).

The top programs for automakers by share of household TV ad impressions were MLB (6.63%), FIFA World Cup 2026 (3.97%), 2026 Open Championship (3.62%), Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026 (3.16%) and the 2026 Wimbledon Championships (2.53%).

Notably, the English-language broadcasts of the World Cup delivered more reach for automakers than the Spanish ones, but MLB games beat both — not surprising, as the World Cup’s ad breaks were limited, per iSpot.tv. 

The most-seen automaker ads by share of household TV ad impressions in July were  Chevrolet: The Heartbeat of America (6.25%), Mercedes-Benz: Welcome (3.48%), Hyundai: FIFA World Cup: Disguise (2.47%), Hyundai: FIFA World Cup: Camping (2.24%) and Ford: Field Research (1.87%).

The top automaker ads by likeability according to iSpot.tv were Honda: Ready, Set, Summer: Entry (+8.4% more likeable than the July auto average), Jeep: Great American Deal (+3.8%), Honda: 40 Versions of Your Favorite Car (+3.8%), Chevrolet: The Heartbeat of America: Trucks (+3.6%) and Honda: Choose Honda: HR-V (+3.3%).

The top automaker ads by positive purchase intent were  Kia: Fork in the Road (58%), Honda: This Summer Choose Honda (58%), Chevrolet: The Heartbeat of America: SUVs (57%), Nissan: Monster Tow (56%) and Honda: Ready, Set, Summer: Entry (55%).

Chevrolet owned July’s most-seen auto ad. MLB games provided the most reach for the spot, followed by "Family Feud," "Jeopardy" and FIFA World Cup 2026. "

Honda’s “Ready, Set, Summer: Entry” was the most-liked auto ad in July, and ranked fifth for positive purchase intent. In addition to notable likeability, the spot scored above the auto norm for attention, information, desire and relevance. Kia’s “Fork in the Road” ad won for positive purchase intent, and 26% of surveyed viewers said the visual scenes were the “single best thing” about the spot, according to iSpot.tv.