Another W for Advertisers: The NFL’s Dominance Continues

The results are in: the National Football League delivered yet another winning season for advertisers.

Data shows ads that ran during the 2025 NFL regular season were 27% more effective than the average ad that appeared on primetime broadcast and cable throughout the same period.

As a result of this strong per-person, per-second engagement and the massive audiences that tune in for each game, a single spot during the 2025 NFL regular season generated as much impact as 44 average primetime ads. The figure represents a 6% increase compared to last year, highlighting the growing TV ad dominance of the NFL.

To arrive at these findings, EDO measures the ad-driven consumer engagements that occur immediately after an ad airs, such as brand searches, web traffic, and app downloads. These metrics have been proven as reliable predictors of future sales.

Arby’s, KFC, and Amazon topped the standings

While the NFL is an advertising juggernaut across the board, some brands performed better than others.

Standouts include Arby’s, KFC, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). 

• Arby’s: The fast-food restaurant chain dedicated most of its airtime to promoting a new offering: Steak Nuggets. The innovative menu item helped Arby’s become 528% more effective than the average NFL advertiser in 2025.
• KFC: Resurrecting past favorites, such as potato wedges and its honey BBQ sauce, proved popular for the brand. KFC advertising was 388% more effective than other spots broadcast during the 2025 regular season.
• Amazon Web Services: Taking an explanatory approach, Amazon Web Services showed how its cloud technology allows partners such as BMW, Disney+, and the NFL to provide better experiences for customers. The brand’s ads were 344% more effective than the average NFL advertiser.

A strategy that works: good food and low prices

At a time when many consumers are focused on affordability, individual commercials that excelled often featured two things: food and low prices.

• A spot from Buffalo Wild Wings, for example, promoted a meal for two people starting at $19.99 — with an assist from ex-SNL star Heidi Gardner. The ad was 396% more effective than the average NFL commercial aired during the 2025 regular season.
• An ad for Chili’s (195% more effective) encouraged viewers who feel fed up with “tiny, over-priced burgers” to try its budget-friendly meal for $10.99.
• Little Caesars (with a top ad that was 161% more effective than the primetime broadcast and cable average) and McDonald's (whose top ad was 158% more effective) also included prices in some of their more popular spots. 
  
  

Get ready for The Big Game

The NFL continues to be TV’s crown jewel, dominating ratings and engagement with no end in sight. But the biggest game of the year is still to come.

Sign up to get EDO’s Super Bowl TV ad rankings first thing Monday morning — and see which ads really drove results on TV’s biggest night.