Sports programming on US television attracted $10.9 billion (€8.6 billion) in advertising expenditure in the year to the end of September 2011, up 5.9 per cent from $10.3 billion the previous year, according to audience measurement company Nielsen Media Research.
A 37.3-per-cent rise in spending on advertising during sports events broadcast on cable television offset a decline in advertising during sports broadcasts on free-to-air network television.
There were over 42,500 hours of live sports events on nationwide network and cable television during the year, a five-per-cent increase on the previous year.
Advertising during sports programmes was dominated by 10 brands, which account for 26 per cent of the total expenditure.
Telco AT&T Wireless was the top spender ($423.5 million) followed by beer brand Bud Light ($210.2m), telco Verizon Wireless ($207.7m), fast food chain McDonald’s ($164.9m), pay-television broadcaster DirecTV ($160.5m), insurance company Geico ($158.1m), telco Sprint Wireless ($147.4m), Southwest Airlines ($143.5m), State Farm Insurance ($127.5m) and the Miller Lite beer brand ($126.6m).