Sports-related programming was a key driver of reach for all five of the most-seen luxury auto TV ads for July 14-20, according to an iSpot analysis. While Mercedes-Benz and Genesis focused on the 2025 Open Championship, Lexus zeroed in on SportsCenter.
Mercedes-Benz takes first place with a spot that highlights various features of the GLS, including its multiple driver-assist systems, 7-passenger seating and predictive AI technology. The ad stands out not just in terms of ad reach – racking up 129.6 million national TV ad impressions – but from a creative perspective as well: According to iSpot’s Creative Assessment, this ad performed in the 95th percentile for relevance, the 94th percentile for desire and the 90th percentile for likeability. Additionally, 29% of surveyed viewers say the product itself was the “single best thing” about the ad. Over 41% of its total impressions came from the 2025 Open Championship, followed by House Hunters (12.41%) and House Hunters International (6.24%).
The No.2 spot from Genesis also prioritized the 2025 Open Championship, but less so than the Mercedes-Benz commercial: 15.8% of its total 104.6 million national TV ad impressions came from airings during the tournament, while MLB games generated another 11.8% and the 2025 ESPYs delivered 4.3%.
Lexus owns the final three spots on the ranking, all highlighting its Golden Opportunity Sales Event. SportsCenter was the top impression-generating program for each.
The third-place Lexus commercial received 91.8 million national TV ad impressions, 6.7% of which came from SportsCenter, followed by Special Report With Bret Baier (5.8%) and Family Guy (4.7%). The sleek imagery prompted 35% of surveyed viewers to cite the visual scenes as the “single best thing” about the spot, with one remarking that it “effectively conveys a sense of luxury, precision and innovation.”
In the No.4 Lexus spot, four Dalmatians eagerly hop into a vehicle and take advantage of spacious, 3-row seating. The commercial far outperformed the automotive norm for all creative components that iSpot measures, including attention, likeability, watchability, desire and relevance. SportsCenter generated 13.8% of its total 83.8 million national TV ad impressions, with another 5.8% coming from Family Guy and 3.9% from The Big Bang Theory.
Lexus’s fifth-place commercial leaned into SportsCenter the most: The program accounted for 13.5% of the spot’s total 83.4 million national TV ad impressions, while Family Guy delivered another 5.9% of total impressions, followed by The Big Bang Theory (4.3%).
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1. Mercedes-Benz: The Philosophy
Impressions: 129,646,878
Interruption Rate: 2.19%
Attention Index: 118
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $1,060,336
Impressions: 104,644,129
Interruption Rate: 2.35%
Attention Index: 97
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $797,743
Impressions: 91,762,193
Interruption Rate: 1.52%
Attention Index: 98
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $408,343
4. Lexus: Dogs
Impressions: 83,767,982
Interruption Rate: 1.49%
Attention Index: 99
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $438,229
5. Lexus: Shade
Impressions: 83,406,303
Interruption Rate: 1.80%
Attention Index: 90
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $445,294
Data provided by iSpot, The New Standard for TV Ad Measurement.
Chart positions and other data may be updated in iSpot’s database as additional airings information becomes available.
TV Impressions - Total TV ad impressions delivered for the brand or spot.
Interruption Rate - The percentage of devices that were present at the beginning of the ad but did not complete watching the ad. Actions that interrupt ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV. The Interruption Rate is measured on a scale of 0 to 100%.
Attention Index - A comparison of the ad’s interruption rate against its specific media placement. The Attention Index is measured on a scale of 0 to 200, where 100 is the average and means the ad is performing as expected.
Est. National TV Spend - Amount spent on TV airings for the brand’s spots.
