The NBA playoffs were a key driver of reach for three of the five most-seen auto TV ads, as ranked by iSpot’s national TV ad impressions for May 12-18. Subaru, which owns the other two spots on the chart, leaned into reality TV and morning news programming instead.
In its first-place spot, Nissan acknowledges our “world of rising prices” and touts how it’s lowering MSRP on Rogue and Pathfinder models. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of its 153.1 million national TV ad impressions came from NBA games, while other top programming included American Idol (3.7%) and Law & Order (2.5%). This spot inspired notable purchase intent, with 55% of iSpot’s Creative Assessment survey respondents saying they were “more” or “much more” likely to purchase after viewing the ad.
At No.2: A Genesis spot for the ’26 GV70, which racked up 142 million national TV ad impressions, 57% of which came from primetime ad airings. Across all dayparts, NBA games delivered the most reach (16% of total impressions), followed by the 2025 PGA Championship (9.6%) and The Amazing Race (5.9%). Top networks by impressions included CBS (22.9%), ESPN (9.1%) and HGTV (6.9%).
Subaru owns the third- and fourth-place commercials – which had a combined 199.7 million national TV ad impressions – making it the most-seen automaker on the ranking.
The third-place spot for the Subaru Crosstrek (104.7 million national TV ad impressions) features a dog family, complete with a puppy in a car seat demanding the same song be played over and over. Per iSpot’s Creative Assessment, 38% of surveyed viewers said the characters were the “single best thing” about the ad. While morning news programs Today and Good Morning America led for reach (9.3% and 8.7% of total impressions, respectively), reality TV was the top impression-generating genre, accounting for 22.2%.
The No.4 ad highlights how Consumer Reports named Subaru the 2025 Most Reliable and Best Overall Automotive Brand. American Idol led for reach for this spot, accounting for 7.2% of its total 95 million national TV ad impressions. Good Morning America generated 6.2% and Today provided 5.9%.
Hyundai rounds out the ranking with a spot for the 3-row 2026 IONIQ 9. In the ad, as gravity seemingly disappears and items float through the air, a spokesperson proclaims that the all-electric SUV “won’t take you to space – it brings space to you.” According to iSpot’s Creative Assessment, 27% of surveyed viewers considered the visual scenes the “single best thing” about the ad. NBA games generated nearly 40% of its total 93.5 million national TV ad impressions, followed by NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt (7.5%) and The Rookie (6%).
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1. Nissan: A World of Rising Prices
Impressions: 153,131,844
Interruption Rate: 1.94%
Attention Index: 109
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $1,839,642
Impressions: 141,981,164
Interruption Rate: 2.11%
Attention Index: 91
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $1,486,395
3. Subaru: Dog Tested: On Repeat
Impressions: 104,688,513
Interruption Rate: 2.92%
Attention Index: 94
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $1,099,444
4. Subaru: Consumer Reports 2025 Most Reliable Automotive Brand
Impressions: 95,016,988
Interruption Rate: 3.11%
Attention Index: 94
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $1,042,064
Impressions: 93,457,831
Interruption Rate: 2.72%
Attention Index: 108
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $1,775,395
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.
