Verizon Replaces AT&T Atop List Of Sports' Biggest TV Ad Spenders

Verizon Wireless replaced rival AT&T “as sports’ biggest ad spender last year, and domestic auto manufacturers returned to the industry in a big way,” according Nielsen Media data cited by David Broughton in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Verizon spent $345.4M on TV sports advertising in ‘11, “up slightly" from '10 and up $98M from '09. The company is an official sponsor of the NFL and NHL, and “was one of the top spenders during broadcasts of those leagues’ games specifically.” AT&T’s wireless division, the ‘10 spending leader, spent $296.9M in '11, down 19% from '10. This marks the “first time in the 18 years that Nielsen has been tracking the spending data that Anheuser-Busch has been out of the No. 1 spot in consecutive years and only the third time ever.” Chrysler was “not ranked” among the top 100 advertisers for ‘10 or ‘09, but “surged to No. 18" for '11. McDonald’s committed 12.8% of its ad budget to sports, the "lowest portion for the company in the 10 years Nielsen has provided such data.” Southwest Airlines committed 68.7% of its overall company’s ad budget to sports, the "highest among the Top 50 brands that are not affiliated with a sport property” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/4 issue).