These 10 Advertisers Won the Olympics for TV and Streaming

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.

3. Delta

Reach: 43 million

Campaign: Delta Air Lines released a series of five ads with Wieden+Kennedy. These videos turned its planes and their interiors into the background for athletes’ journeys to Paris.

“It’s the athletes that are the heroes here, and Delta is just a small part of that journey to help them get to the Paris Games and everything in between,” Delta chief marketing officer Alicia Tillman told ADWEEK last month.

4. Allstate

Reach: 43 million

Campaign: Allstate has become known for its popular “Mayhem” ads starring Dean Winters, which aired during the Olympics. Meanwhile, since 1967, Allstate created the Allstate Sugar Bowl’s James J. Corbett Award for rising athletes in Louisiana, many of which have eventually made it to the U.S. Olympics.

This year, four previous James J. Corbett Award winners, including beach volleyball player Kristen Nuss, sprinter Aleia Hobbs, high jump athlete JuVaughn Harrison, and pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, all made it to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

5. Nike

Reach: 42 million

Campaign: In an ad created by Wieden + Kennedy, the sportswear brand ran a “Winning Isn’t For Everyone” spot, which is part of its biggest-ever planned media investment around the tournament, as it looks to boost sales and return to a clear tone of voice.

In addition, the campaign includes athlete extension films, images, social media extensions, and out-of-home ads in cities globally.

6. Google

Reach: 42 million

Campaign: For Google’s “Dear Sydney” ad at the Olympics this year, the tech giant promoted Gemini, its AI feature, by showing an aspiring young runner who’s obsessed with an Olympic superstar by the name of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. To craft the perfect fan letter, the runner and her father turn to Gemini for assistance.

The ad quickly received backlash following its debut, with many calling it tone-deaf and “less inspiring.” However, despite the criticism, the company still reached many audiences. System1, which uses a star rating to predict brand growth based on an ad’s creative quality, gave Google’s spot a strong score of 4.4 out of 5.9.

7. Eli Lilly

Reach: 42 million

Campaign: Healthcare giant Eli Lilly, which is a Team USA partner, rolled out a campaign with a 60-second spot called “One Body” by Wieden + Kennedy Portland that challenged people to “fight like hell” for their health.

The ad noted how even the strong can get sick and was meant to highlight “what’s possible when we don’t accept the odds that stand in the way of our goals,” according to the company.

8. Universal

Reach: 41 million

Campaign: Given that Universal’s parent company is NBCUniversal, it’s no surprise Universal made the list. During the Olympics, it aired several special spots for upcoming projects such as Speak No Evil and the highly anticipated Wicked adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

NBCUniversal also gave Wicked a big push during its 2024 upfront presentation, presenting a look at the trailer.

9. Apple

Reach: 41 million

Campaign: For Apple’s campaign this year, it created an optimistic ad looking toward the future of the Games with the latest entry of its long-running “Shot on iPhone” campaign. For example, its “2036 Hopefuls,” by agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab, spotlights aspiring athletes from around the world who are all under the age of 10.

10. Visa

Reach: 40 million

Campaign: Visa has been a sponsor of the Olympics for 40 years, and as part of its U.S. campaign this year, the company created “Prodigies,” a brand film featuring the origin stories of Pharrell Williams, Visa-backed tennis star Iga Świątek, Visa-sponsored Olympic skateboard gold medalist Sky Brown, Visa Cash App RB Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, chef and entrepreneur Roy Choi, and artist and designer Gemma O’Brien.

It aired during NBCUNiversal’s event coverage and across national broadcast TV, online and digital streaming platforms, and via social channels. Several Olympians even shared it with their audiences.