NBA Ad Impact is Up 62% YoY — And These Brands Are Leading the Way

The NBA may have a tanking problem, but the league’s TV advertisers are as competitive as ever. In fact, regular-season ad performance is on the upswing.

EDO data shows that ads that ran during the 2025-26 NBA regular season prior to the All-Star break in mid-February drove 3.5x as much impact as the average ad that appeared on primetime broadcast and cable throughout the same period. The metric, which accounts for both ad effectiveness and audience size, is up 62% compared to the same period during the 2024-25 season.

On a per-person, per-second basis, ads aired during NBA games so far this season have been 18% more likely to generate consumer engagement than the typical primetime ad — up 7% year-over-year.

To arrive at these findings, EDO measured the actions viewers took immediately after an ad aired, such as brand searches, website visits, and app downloads. Behaviors like these are proven indicators of future sales.

Here’s a look at the brands and creatives that have been dishin’ and swishin’ this NBA season.

Oura Ring, Red Lobster, and BlueChew top the list

A wide range of brands have thrived during the NBA this season, from wearable technology advertisers, pizza brands, to airlines.

Here are some of the advertisers that were most effective at driving consumer engagement on a per-second, per-person basis.

• Oura Ring: Ads for the wearable health and wellness tech company have been 1,619% more effective than the average ad that appeared during the 2025-26 NBA regular season leading up to the All-Star break. One spot offering up to $150 off a smart ring during the Black Friday shopping season did particularly well.
• Red Lobster: The restaurant chain spurred viewers to action by focusing on its menu items. Ads promoting deals for its lobster and shrimp, along with adding two new flavors to its seafood boil lineup, helped the brand become 1,055% more effective than the average NBA advertiser.
• BlueChew: Ads featuring women speaking directly to the camera in an unpolished style prominent across social media made the ED medication 369% more effective than the typical NBA ad.
  
  
  

Winning themes: innovation, price, and product close-ups

Among the most effective individual ads, a few trends emerged.

• Innovation: Novelty is one way to make viewers stop what they’re doing and pay attention. Red Lobster’s ad introducing new seafood boils that come in lemon pepper or a combination of flavors was 2,039% more effective than the average NBA ad aired during the 2025-2026 regular season. Likewise, a spot from Applebee's announcing its O-M-Cheese Burger — a burger served over melted cheese in a skillet — was 291% more effective.
• Price: With affordability still on the minds of many Americans, ads promoting low prices performed well. An ad for KFC featuring the brand’s $5 bowls noted the Colonel would have some “choice words” if he knew how much lunch costs today. It was 362% more effective than average. Meanwhile, an ad from Bose offering up to 45% off purchases made on its website was 289% more effective.
• Product close-ups: Something about seeing meat sizzle and ice cubes tumble around a glass seems to work. A Cutwater Spirits spot promoting its ready-to-drink White Russian cocktail spends much of its airtime focusing on the beverage pouring out of a can. It was 509% more effective than the average 2025-26 NBA regular season ad. A Panda Express ad shows little more than food cooking in a pan over an open flame. It wound up being 332% more effective than average.
  
  
  
  

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