What Actually Works in NFL Sponsorships

Inside the NFL's Most Effective Sponsorships

NFL sponsorships represent some of the most valuable ad inventory on TV, but for years, measuring their true impact has been a mostly manual process.

At EDO, we’ve set out to close that gap by measuring the impact of every on-screen sponsorship that aired during a nationally televised NFL game during the 2025-26 season. That’s 1,443 sponsorships across 139 brands and 7 distinct integration types — all using the same proven methodology we use to measure the ad-driven consumer engagement behaviors that predict future sales.

Here’s a taste of what we learned about what works in NFL sponsorships.

The most effective integrations

Halftime studio show segments were the standout of the season. These sponsorships were nearly three times as effective at driving consumer engagement as the average sponsorship during the 2025-26 season. Signage placed within those same studio segments also beat the field, and sponsor billboards also came in well above average. The takeaway for brands planning their next buy: where and how a sponsorship appears on screen matters as much as how often it runs.

Brands that made the most of their moment

Toyota, Bud Light, and Burger King were among the season's most effective sponsors, each finding with a different format that resonated best with viewers:

• Toyota ran the most sponsorship placements of the three — 123 airings across the season — and its top integration, a presented-by bumper, was 157% more effective than the average 2025-26 NFL sponsorship.
• Bud Light ran 20 sponsorship airings, with its lower-third integrations beating the season average by 42%.
• Burger King, with 15 airings, saw its sponsor billboard card integration come in 104% ahead of the average sponsorship unit.

Know what works before your next buy

Sponsorships are only as valuable as the outcomes they drive. With EDO’s Sponsored™ Ad Outcomes, marketers can understand the impact of their investments at scale — and make in-season adjustments to maximize performance.

Learn more in our NFL TV Outcomes Report, or check out our research on Sponsored Ad Outcomes.