Automakers up NFL advertising after pullback

Automakers are rushing back into advertising during the National Football League season after a slowdown in recent years.

Toyota Motor Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company and the Detroit automakers are among those expected to capitalize on the NFL and its games as main advertising platforms in the coming months. Toyota in particular is entering football season as the “Official Automotive Partner of the NFL,” a first for the world’s largest automaker.

“There [are] so many variables that can impact budgets, but automakers are starting to pick back up,” said Ryan Briganti, head of ad sales at Paramount’s CBS Sports, which airs NFL games each week on CBS and Paramount+. “We have autos advertising across the whole portfolio.”

The automotive industry significantly pulled back advertising and marketing budgets in recent years because it did not have enough vehicles to sell. The Covid-19 pandemic and supply chain problems caused historically low vehicle inventory levels. But vehicle inventory levels have been growing amid high interest rates and economic fears, and automakers are turning to live sports, especially the NFL, to help promote new products.

General Motors, for one, expects to increase advertising spend by more than $400 million during the second half of the year compared to the first six months to promote new or redesigned vehicles. GM declined to discuss details of the spending, including how much of that amount is specifically tied to NFL advertising, but reiterated it remains significantly lower than historic levels.

The NFL is a crucial piece of advertising strategy for automakers. During last year’s NFL season, from September to February, about 44% of the automotive ad spend budgets in national TV were for the NFL, according to media planning and data company Guideline. That compares to 31% of budgets across all sectors, the company reports. 

“The impact of the NFL on the automotive advertising industry is really very, very substantial,” said Alberto Leyes, head of product strategy at Guideline. 

NFL games dominate viewership on traditional TV. Last year’s NFL regular season games averaged 17.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The Super Bowl, meanwhile, drew 123.7 million average viewers. 

The NFL’s consistent viewership — despite customers fleeing the pay TV bundle — has led to a surge in the value of its media rights deals, which have in turn been a significant driver of NFL team valuations. Today, an NFL team is worth an average of $6.49 billion, according to CNBC’s Official 2024 NFL Team Valuations.

The advertising market overall has shown signs of a rebound this year, particularly for streaming and digital players. Across the board, live sports still fetch the most significant ad spends, downturn or not.

“We’ve seen a much stronger growth in 2024 than we’ve seen in any of the…