The Most-Liked Ads of 2024 Revealed. Get the Ranking>

How Top Brands, Industries, Creatives Tackled NFL Games Last Season

The 2020-21 NFL season was anything but normal, with pandemic concerns, shifting schedules, creative uncertainty and a tumultuous political environment. Nevermind the continued migration of fans to streaming environments and the league’s addition of two playoff games.

Brands and networks still found success amid the changes, and the league’s broadcasts remained TV’s hottest commodity in terms of live programming. The same will be true for 2021-22 as well, especially as the NFL adds an additional week of games to the schedule. 

Before turning the page to this coming season, though, it’s worth looking back at last year to examine the brands, industries and creatives that made the biggest impact throughout the regular season, playoffs and Super Bowl.

Some key highlights from iSpot’s full 2020-21 report:

  • Verizon TV ad impressions outran the field during NFL games last year, with over 21% more than then next-most-seen brand
  • Automotive brands & insurance made up nearly half (eight) of the top 20 brands by TV ad impressions during NFL games
  • The NFL Playoffs are tax ad season, as more than 20% of tax service TV ad budget went toward NFL games for the fourth straight year
  • Beer and football are a match made on TV, with nearly 50% of the entire beer industry’s national TV ad spend dedicated to the NFL from early September though the Super Bowl last season