With the NFL season over, automakers have shifted focus to a mix of programming to achieve reach, including morning shows, primetime dramas and late-night talk shows, according to iSpot’s analysis for Feb. 10-16. Notably, Volkswagen had the only ad among the top five that aired during the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special.
Subaru owns two spots on the ranking, first and third; both ads highlight various accolades the automaker has received. The No.1 spot (with 138.2 million national TV ad impressions) details how Subaru was named Consumer Reports’ 2025 Most Reliable as well as Best Overall Automotive Brand. Top programming by reach included Today (4.23% of total impressions), Matlock (3.55%) and FBI: International (3.19%).
Meanwhile, the third-place commercial (115.8 million impressions) compares the Subaru Forester to the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, calling out how the Forester was a 2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick+. Good Morning America delivered 4.76% of the ad’s total impressions, with additional reach coming from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (4.10%) and The Big Bang Theory (4.06%).
Genesis takes second place with a spot for the GV70, posing the question of “Why blend in, when standing out is oh, so much more fun?” Of the ads on the ranking, this one leaned into sports the most, with nearly 72% of its total 126.9 million national TV ad impressions coming from PGA Tour golf. Additional programming delivering reach included NCIS (3.39% of total impressions), 20/20 (2.44%) and Watson (2.44%).
In fourth place with 110.6 million national TV ad impressions is an Audi spot for the Q6 e-tron that completely lacks a voiceover or speaking role of any kind, instead relying on visuals and on-screen text to promote the fully electric model. iSpot’s Creative Assessment data suggests that this tactic resonated with viewers: The commercial inspired notable positive purchase intent, with 62% of survey respondents saying they were “more” or “much more” likely to purchase after viewing the ad. Additionally, the spot performed above the automotive norm for attention, likeability, watchability, desire and relevance, with 32% of viewers citing the visual scenes as the “single best thing” about the ad.
Volkswagen’s fifth-place spot had the most variety across its top programming by impressions: The Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special generated 16.1% of its total 109.7 million national TV ad impressions, while men’s college basketball delivered 9.2%, and another 8.6% came from SpongeBob SquarePants. Per iSpot’s Creative Assessment, 17% of surveyed viewers considered the music — Elaine Stritch’s 1956 rendition of “Are You Havin’ Any Fun?” — to be the “single best thing” about the commercial.
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1. Subaru: Consumer Reports 2025 Most Reliable Automotive Brand
Impressions: 138,217,972
Interruption Rate: 3.01%
Attention Index: 109
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $1,002,315
Impressions: 126,880,182
Interruption Rate: 2.34%
Attention Index: 113
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $721,112
Impressions: 115,820,806
Interruption Rate: 3.16%
Attention Index: 109
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $873,897
Impressions: 110,618,556
Interruption Rate: 4.07%
Attention Index: 93
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $726,326
5. Volkswagen: A Life Half-Full
Impressions: 109,661,831
Interruption Rate: 4.00%
Attention Index: 89
Est. National TV Ad Spend: $736,753
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.
