Some of the biggest beneficiaries of the boosted TV ad reach included Michelob Ultra (3.08% of ad impressions), Wingstop (2.71%) and State Farm (2.45%).
Quick-serve brands like Wingstop accounted for five of the top 10 spots by share of advertiser household TV ad impressions during the NBA Playoffs. And one reason why is because those spots are incredibly effective at reaching QSR brands’ intended audience.
iSpot’s report shows that over the course of the NBA Playoffs (April 19-June 22), those games reached 44.9% of all QSR visitors in the U.S. — the largest figure by far of any programming on TV.
Other sporting events like MLB games (27.5%) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs (25.5%) also had significant reach among those visitors. But it still pales in comparison to the NBA, which in towering over the rest of TV, makes an incredibly compelling case for QSR brands to pay the premiums associated with playoff advertising.
Overall, the advertiser story would seem to suggest something closer to what NBA commissioner Adam Silver suggested: That having two “small market” teams was no disaster for the league (despite what TV ratings said), and still provided value where it was most important, with fans and advertisers.