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The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics were the biggest Games in years for both advertisers and consumers.
At the end of July, NBCUniversal reported it delivered the highest Olympic and Paralympic ad revenue in history, securing more advertisers than the Rio and Tokyo Olympics combined, with nearly $500 million coming from first-time sponsors.
Samba TV also reported at the time that 9.9 million U.S. households watched the Opening Ceremony during the L+0D (live or on the same day) window.
Samba TV has released new data on the top 10 advertisers in terms of U.S. linear and OTT reach during the Olympics. According to the TV technology company, the advertising reach numbers are based on exposure to a linear or streaming TV advertisement, not just a logo or mention.
“Paris 2024 was a major television event and a huge draw for audiences, as well as a windfall for advertisers and NBCUniversal,” Ashwin Navin, CEO of Samba TV, said in a statement, adding, “The Olympics added new viewers every single day, showing that the games benefited from all the social media buzz and gave advertisers plenty of reach over the multi-week event.”
According to the tech company, brands such as Toyota, Nike, and Apple won big during the Games. So, without further ado, here are the top 10 advertisers for reach across linear and streaming during the Olympics:
1. Toyota
Reach: 49 million
Campaign: This year, Toyota got inclusive with an ad featuring Paralympian Marissa Papaconstantinou, where she jogs away from a doctor’s appointment directly onto the streets of her hometown of Toronto.
Throughout the 30-second spot, Papaconstantinou ages, with a prosthetic becoming a running blade and the athlete multi-tasking through a variety of random scenarios. The campaign, credited with breaking barriers of representation in marketing, aims to be “a testament to the power of inclusive storytelling,” Dedra DeLilli, group manager of sponsorship marketing for the brand, previously said.
2. Xfinity
Reach: 46 million
Campaign: This year, the Comcast-owned brand rolled out a spot titled “Bringing Inspiration Home for the Team of Tomorrow,” which showed children inspired by Olympic athletes. In a quick montage, they can be seen copying dance moves that some athletes use to celebrate victory.