College football reached a historic milestone in 2024 with the expansion of its playoff format from four to twelve teams. While previous years featured a single week of high-stakes games around the New Year, the new College Football Playoff (CFP) stretches from mid-December to late January.
This paradigm shift means more exciting games for fans and more premium inventory for TV advertisers. As EDO CEO Kevin Krim recently explained to CNBC, "The NFL is the absolute pinnacle of the mountain of ad value, and right behind it is college football."
Fresh data from the 2024 regular season validates this assertion, with total TV ad investment slightly up year-over-year, reaching $1.2 billion through mid-December and delivering exceptional returns for advertisers and publishers. Let’s look at some of the big winners.
College Football delivers 5.5x impact for advertisers
Following last year’s trend, college football outperformed the primetime broadcast and cable average, with consumers 8% more likely to engage with advertising brands in the minutes after an ad airs.
When you combine this strong engagement with a large audience, you get a potent impact for advertisers. This season, brands would need to air 5.5 ads during regular primetime programming to equal the impact of just one college football ad placement.
Reproductive health brands lead in TV ad performance
The reproductive health category dominated TV ad performance during the regular season, taking the top two spots in our rankings. Bluechew emerged as the MVP, with ads 2,157% more likely to engage consumers than the average ad aired during college football programming. Eroxon secured second place with a 1,446% lift.
The season's top 10 performing brands also showcased strong diversity across categories, demonstrating college football's broad appeal:
These TV ads delivered results across price points and purchase cycles, from immediate consumer goods like clothing or shoes (Fabletics, Tecovas, Ray-Ban) to considered purchases like automobiles (GMC, Polestar).
Spam cooks up major college football engagement
The most unusual success story has to be Spam, the canned lunch meat known for its war-time bonafides and extensive shelf life. The brand not only placed third in overall ad performance, but also scored the season’s winning TV creative.
In a spot that directly addressed long-standing brand perceptions, the ad showcases Spam in a modern context, diced and mixed with fresh vegetables in a large pan, with the tagline "Don't knock it, 'till you've fried it.” The result? 2,196% higher likely ad engagement than the average food and beverage ad aired during college football broadcasts.
Build your winning TV advertising playbook
College football’s new season format has ushered in a new era of TV advertising opportunities for brands. With soaring engagement levels, an expanded playoff calendar, and a 5.5x ad multiplier over general primetime, college football is an opportunity few marketers can afford to ignore.
To maximize returns in the evolving convergent TV landscape, brands should:
- Capitalize on the heightened engagement levels of live sports
- Base media buying decisions on real-world outcomes vs. traditional ratings
- Factor in ad multiplier effects when evaluating ad placement value
- Test creative approaches early in the season to optimize your spend
Whether you’re exploring new media buys, or looking to maximize the performance of an existing TV ad budget, EDO has you covered. Check out our recent reports for more high-value opportunities or schedule a meeting with us today.