Top Brands Boost Their TV Ad Visibility: A 68% Rise in Ad Impressions by Leading Brands in the First Half of 2025 (according to Samba TV)
In the dynamic world of advertising, the first half of 2025 has seen a significant shift in TV advertising trends, as revealed by a comprehensive report from Samba TV. The report, which analyses the strategies of the top 100 advertisers, indicates a robust recovery and transformation in the TV advertising landscape.
The report highlights a 68% increase in TV advertising spend among the top 100 advertisers, signalling strong advertiser confidence and momentum in the market. This rise is particularly notable in the realm of connected TV (CTV), whose hours watched surged 46% year-over-year, underlining a shift towards streaming platforms.
Key findings from the report include a strategic shift by brands like Starbucks, which doubled its TV ad spend with an 88% increase, aiming to emotionally reconnect with consumers. On the other hand, Dunkin' cut back TV spend by 61%, opting for a focus on social and experiential marketing.
In the telecommunications sector, T-Mobile increased TV investment by 34%, while Verizon reduced its TV spend by 37%, indicating divergent advertising strategies among leading brands.
The report also identifies a growing disparity in ad delivery, with about half of U.S. households receiving 94% of all TV ads, suggesting concentrated advertising targeting. However, this trend presents an opportunity for advertisers to tap into the untapped audience in the bottom 50% of households.
Advertisers seem motivated to "lean in" and grow market share rather than playing it safe, indicating aggressive investment in TV advertising during a period of uncertainty. This aggressive approach reflects brands' recognition of the influence of consumer shifts towards streaming platforms, with brands prioritizing targeted TV campaigns that leverage streaming viewership growth.
Entertainment remains the top category with 273 billion impressions, followed by pharmaceutical & medical (193 billion), health & beauty (152 billion), food & beverage (127 billion), home & garden (121 billion), business, finance, legal, and logistics (116 billion), retail stores (112 billion), restaurants (100 billion), electronics & communication (73 billion), vehicles manufacturers (60 billion), insurance (59 billion), travel (35 billion), and other (242 billion).
The report also found a clear pattern of over-delivery in the Northeast, Midwest, and South, while Western states are significantly under-served. This discrepancy presents both a challenge and a major opportunity for brands to connect with underserved viewers.
The report suggests a major efficiency gap in traditional TV advertising, as a large portion of the budget is spent oversaturating one group while missing the other almost entirely. This extreme over-exposure of ads to the top 50% of households creates a high risk of ad fatigue and creative burnout.
Brands are spending more on advertising as a strategy to gain market share, with 75% of the top 20 advertisers increasing their TV impressions in the first half of 2025. However, the report does not specify which Western states are significantly under-served.
The report concludes that current media buying strategies are not keeping pace with the nation's changing demographics, presenting both a challenge and a major opportunity for brands to connect with underserved viewers, particularly Gen Z, millennials, Hispanic, and Asian American groups.
The full report can be found at the provided link.
- The Samba TV report shows a rise in TV advertising spend among the top 100 advertisers, with a 68% increase, indicating a robust recovery and transformation in the TV advertising landscape.
- In the realm of connected TV (CTV), hours watched surged 46% year-over-year, signifying a shift towards streaming platforms.
- The report finds a growing disparity in ad delivery, with about half of U.S. households receiving 94% of all TV ads, suggesting concentrated advertising targeting.
- Brands are spending more on advertising as a strategy to gain market share, with 75% of the top 20 advertisers increasing their TV impressions in the first half of 2025, but the report does not specify which Western states are significantly under-served.
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