AdImpact Q2 2026 Television Insights Report
Coming off the excitement of the Super Bowl and Olympics, Q2 brought more major television events, including March Madness, the Masters and the NBA and NHL playoffs. Political campaigns also started heating up, as states started holding their primary races ahead of the 2026 midterms.
In our latest quarterly television insights report, AdImpact takes a closer look at the viewership data, political ad spending, ad airings and advertising trends of Q2 – and what marketers need to know to stand out in a crowded landscape for the rest of 2026.
The Shifting Channel Mix in QSR
In Q2, we looked at some of the major QSR advertising trends shaping the first part of the year.
The fast food industry underwent a significant shift in television advertising, with streaming emerging as a major growth driver. AdImpact tracked 1.9M broadcast airings in Q1 2026, remaining flat compared to the same time period in both 2025 and 2024. Meanwhile, CTV impressions rose 11% while comparing Q1 2025 to Q1 2026.
Major national chains were the biggest advertisers on broadcast, led by McDonald’s, Domino’s, Panera and Burger King. Notably, however, regional chains also ranked among the top 10, as chains like Culver’s and Zaxby’s compete at scale on linear TV.
Streaming tells a different story, as the top ten were all national advertisers, led by McDonald’s (3.1B impressions), Chick-fil-A (2.7B), Arby’s (2.4B), Little Caesars (1.3B) and Domino’s (1.1B). The highest-ranked regional chains Zaxby’s (607M), Whataburger (333 M) and Wawa (320M) trailed significantly behind.
These dynamics point to evolving strategies among major QSR advertisers. Wendy’s, for example, nearly challenged McDonald’s as the top broadcast advertiser in Q1 2025, but saw an 80% drop in broadcast airings in Q1 2026 compared to Q1 2025. On CTV, however, Wendy’s impressions declined just 5% year-over-year, suggesting that while the chain is pulling back on advertising overall, it’s pulling back on CTV the least.
Overall, core themes remained consistent, as value meals and loyalty programs made up a significant share of QSR ad airings. Hot honey was one new trend that emerged, as brands like McDonald’s, Bojangles and KFC leaned into the trendy flavor.
As a quick look into Q2 insights, broadcast impressions for fast food brands fell slightly to 1.8M airings, while CTV impressions rose 5% over Q1. McDonald's also lost its crown as the top fast food broadcast advertiser — Panera took the top spot with 207K airings, compared to McDonald's 155K.
Taken together, this analysis reflects an industry in transition. Broadcast remains the domain of regional brands willing to compete aggressively on linear TV, but CTV is increasingly where national chains are pressing their advantages.
However, a mix of both broadcast and CTV can help smaller brands maximize their expansion efforts. Addressable television, especially, provides a great opportunity for regional brands to reach QSR consumers.
Early Spring Sports
The second quarter brings a number of major sporting events, like March Madness, the Masters golf tournament and the NBA and NHL playoffs.
The Final Four of this year’s March Madness tournament, which took place on April 4 and 6, averaged 26.4 M viewers.
The first semifinal game between UConn and Illinois averaged 16.3M viewers, with a majority watching on linear television (47%). YouTubeTV accounted for 29% while other streaming services made up 24% of the audience.
The second game between Michigan and Arizona averaged 20.2M viewers, with 46% watching on linear and 31% on YouTubeTV.
The final between Michigan and UConn averaged 25M viewers, with a peak of 27.5M at 9:48 pm ET. Linear once again dominated viewership, at 43%, compared to 31% for YouTubeTV and 26% for other streaming providers.
The following weekend’s Master’s tournament, which saw Rory McIlroy win his second consecutive tournament, had an average viewership of 18.5M for the final day. The majority of viewers watched via linear television (52%) followed by YouTubeTV at 25%.
While streaming has made some inroads, it’s clear that major annual sporting events are still viewed mainly via linear platforms, so brands should continue investing in tentpoles on broadcast television to reach sports viewers.
Excitement on the Rink for Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs stretched from mid-April to mid-June, culminating in the Carolina Hurricanes winning the championship. The playoffs were full of exciting games, which led to strong viewership as each series progressed.
The first round matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning ended in a game 7, which drew 2.3M viewers. The majority of viewers watched on linear television (42%), followed by other streaming apps (31%) and YouTubeTV at 26%.
The second round matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres also ended in a game 7, with an average viewership of 2.9M viewers. The top advertiser categories for that game were fast food, beverage and cable, phone and internet.
Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights averaged 6.4M viewerships. Viewership peaked with 8.6M tuning in at 10:10 pm ET. A significant number of viewers tuned in via linear, at 58%, followed by 24% on YouTubeTV.
Auto, commercial and home insurance, banks and fast food were the top advertisers looking to reach viewers before the season ended.
It can be impossible to predict the excitement of the playoffs, but viewers will tune in for the finals of a sport regardless. Where possible, brands should invest in playoff series in order to capitalize on the increase in viewership.
Knicks in Five Leave NBA Playoffs Thriving
The NBA playoffs also took place from mid-April to mid-June, with the Knicks ending their 53-year championship drought over the San Antonio Spurs.
Leading up to the final round, there was high drama, with multiple series ending in game 7s. In the first round alone, there were three. The game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics averaged 13.2M viewers, the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons saw 4.3M viewers and the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers averaged 7.7M people. Linear was the major driver of viewership, with an average audience composition of 52%.
The conference semifinals also brought in strong viewership. Game 1 between the Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder averaged 13.4M viewers, with the top advertisers being automotive, fast food and cable, phone and internet brands. Game 4 between the Knicks and the Cavaliers averaged 9.8M viewers.
Overall, the NBA Finals averaged 23M viewers across all five games, the highest since 1992. The final game of the season between the Knicks and the Spurs averaged 26.2M viewers, with New York being the most-tuned in market by total number of viewers. Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and San Antonio.
When digging deeper though, San Antonio takes the crown for the most audience-engaged market, with approximately 33.1% of the market tuning into the game. Nearby markets Victoria (31%), Corpus Christi (23.6%), and Oklahoma City (23.2%) followed behind San Antonio. New York came in at 20%, a strong number when remembering it’s the largest DMA in the nation and many viewers watching at massive watch parties
In terms of advertisers, AdImpact tracked 313 creatives that aired across the games from 122 brands. Despite Disney selling out inventory, only 12 advertisers maintained a presence across every game, including Allstate, Burger King, Hyundai and Toy Story 5.
By airings, the top ad subcategories during the NBA Finals were Fast Food (18%), Film (11%), Auto Makers (10%) Cable, Phone & Internet (4%), and Auto, Commercial & Home Insurance (4%). The biggest differences between NBA Finals advertising and the broader TV landscape were in Fast Food, which increased from 3% of airings to 17%, and Film, which surged from just 0.1% to 9%.
The engagement of local markets around the NBA finals demonstrates the opportunities for local brands to get involved in the marketplace. While some major advertisers dominated the playoffs, the fact that only 12 maintained a presence during every game shows that smaller brands can get involved and reach local audiences tuned into the finals.
Recently, Don Norton of AdImpact noted that local CTV represents a major growth opportunity for brands as more inventory becomes available, so this serves as another opportunity for regional players to get involved in sporting events.
The Summer House Scandal Unlocks New Opportunities
Shifting to another big showdown, let’s take a look at how advertisers reacted to the fallout of the Summer House scandal.
For those out of the loop, cast member West Wilson turned his back on Ciara Miller and went for her newly divorced best friend Amanda Batula, which set off conversations across the internet.
While some advertisers might be hesitant to join in on a scandal, Adimpact found that spending during the week of the scandal actually ticked up from the pre-scandal average.
The pullback came two-three weeks later, as slower-moving brand safety decisions worked through the pipeline. They then returned as the audience did, with weekly spending hitting $5.08M by the reunion, the highest spend in months.
A handful of retail brands took an even more calculated approach — treating the reunion like a tentpole event. Macy's spent almost nothing on Bravo during the regular season. At the reunion, spend surged 1,042%. Lowe's followed the same pattern, as they were quiet all season, then up +946% at the reunion. Marshalls, also largely absent during the show, exploded at +752%.
Other opportunists included Burger King (+162%), Chipotle (+382%), Olive Garden (+219%), Allstate (+151%), and US Bank (+488%).
However, not all brands embraced the scandal, as Subway spend declined 81% post-scandal and never returned. Outback Steakhouse also fell 74%.
Additionally, cable was a big winner, as advertisers sought out the engaged viewership. For instance, Hyundai increased Bravo spend 73% at the reunion while cutting Peacock spend 71%. Wells Fargo went up 171% on Bravo and down 72% on Peacock.
Overall, this suggests that the advertising marketplace around premium cable content is more sophisticated, more reactive and more strategically nuanced than most industry conversations acknowledge. Sports is not the only way to reach live viewers.
California Gubernatorial Primary Sets Records
With $329.9M in ad spending and reservations, the California gubernatorial primary has become the most expensive governor's race on record and the fifth-most expensive non-presidential race on record.
This primary race has beaten out spending in gubernatorial races (including primary and general election ad spending) such as the 2022 Illinois race ($215.2M), the 2025 New Jersey race ($205.9M), and the 2018 Florida election ($182.2M).
Democrats have dominated spending, accounting for 99% of all spending, while Republican spending accounts for the remaining 1%.
The bulk of spending targeting the primary landed in heavily populated areas like the Los Angeles market (42%) and San Francisco (17%). Sacramento and San Diego had 12% and 8% of spending, respectively.
Tom Steyer was the chief spender in the primary, totaling $208.5M, accounting for 63% of every dollar spent in the race. This total alone has surpassed the combined total spending of the previous California gubernatorial race in 2018 and 2022. Even with the primary a month behind us, Steyer is still the second highest spending advertiser so far this cycle. Only Senate Leadership Fund ($214.8M) has spent more than Steyer.
Matt Mahan comes in as the candidate with the second-most ad support at $35.4M, $160M less than Steyer. His campaign spent $6.0M directly, while being supported by California Back to Basics Supporting Matt Mahan for Governor ($25.4M) and Deliver California for Matt Mahan ($4.1M).
Eventual Democratic primary winner, Xavier Becerra, garnered $27.2M in total ad support between his own campaign ($11.4M), and outside groups Working Families for Healthy Communities Supporting Becerra for Governor ($14.7M), and Latinos United for Xavier Becerra ($611K).
2026 Election Spending Goes Into Overdrive
The California gubernatorial primary is only one of the races setting records this year. As a result of competitive races in statewide Senate, gubernatorial and downballot races, AdImpact released a revised projection for the 2026 election cycle.
Last September, AdImpact projected that this cycle would result in $10.8B in spend. Now, spending is projected to hit $11.6B, making it the most expensive on record. This year’s cycle will surpass the midterm record set in 2022 at $8.9B and the $11.2B spent during the 2024 presidential cycle.
Broadcast television remains the dominant force in political advertising, maintaining 48% of total cycle spending. AdImpact is projecting $5.6B in spending, up $330M from its previous projection of $5.3B.
Connected television continues its ascent as the fastest-growing media type in political advertising, with AdImpact revising its projection from $2.5B to $2.7B, maintaining its 23% share of total cycle spending. Digital spending across Facebook, Google, Snapchat and X has also been revised upward to $1.6B, a 9% increase from the original projection.
In terms of races, Ohio saw the largest increase from initial projections, jumping by $309M to a revised total of $749M. Texas and Maine are also leading the growth, with Texas jumping $288M and Maine increasing $185M due to early Senate race activity.
Overall, the competitive landscape of the Senate has evolved since last fall, driving an increase from $2.8B to $3.4B in AdImpact’s latest projection. This marks a 48% increase over 2022 and 27% increase over 2024. In the House, AdImpact is revising its previous projection down from $2.2B to $2B as redistricting outcomes led to 28 races becoming less competitive.
Gubernatorial spending has risen 25% from AdImpact’s previous estimate, going from $1.9B to $2.4B. California’s gubernatorial race is already the most expensive gubernatorial race on record but we're expecting spending to continue coming in for that race with a projected $351M in total. Georgia, projected at $197M, is on pace to rank among the most expensive gubernatorial races in history.
Additionally, downballot and state legislative spending are on pace to reach record levels in 2026, with a combined projected spend of $3.7B, surpassing the prior high of $3.2B in 2022. Downballot spending alone is projected at $3B, the highest single-cycle total on record. State legislative spending is similarly elevated, with $698M projected for 2026, up 17% from 2024.
As the races heat up and the fallout of redistricting plays out, the remaining competitive races, like California’s gubernatorial campaign, will draw more concentrated spending than ever.
Donald Trump Dominates Messaging
(Data as of 6/30)
If early ads are any indicator, Donald Trump will play a major role in midterm messaging up to Election Day.
In a review of over 6,000 broadcast creatives totaling more than 5M airings, Donald Trump appeared in more than 500,000 ads, outpacing ads about issues such as taxes, healthcare, immigration and crime.
President Trump has been featured in more than 1.1M broadcast airings so far this cycle, accounting for 36% of all broadcast airings. For comparison, excluding presidential election advertising, Trump appeared in 16% of broadcast airings at this point in the 2019–2020 cycle, 13% in 2021-2022, and 12% in 2023-24.
In June alone, President Trump appeared in 40% of all broadcast airings, making him the most frequently featured issue of the month, continuing a trend that has held every month so far in 2026.
The advertisers that have featured Trump the most by broadcast airings have been Rick Jackson for GA Governor (32.5K), Burt Jones for GA Governor (27.2K), Tom Steyer for CA Governor (24.7K), Raja Krishnamoorthi for IL Senate (24.3K), and Mayes Middleton for TX Attorney General (19.5K).
Both parties have frequently used Trump in their messaging, as Republican advertisers have featured the President in 44% of their broadcast airings, while Democrats have included him 37% of airings.
World Cup Starts Strong
The FIFA World Cup, running June into July, gives advertisers another shot at sports fans, even with Team USA out of the tournament.
Viewership started strong: in Group Stage Round 2, USA vs. Australia drew 16.3M on FOX's English broadcast and 6.1M on Telemundo/Peacock's Spanish broadcast.
Beyond the Group Stage, Team USA's games became some of the most-watched non-football sports programming in the country this year. USA vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina pulled a combined 35.9M, 25.7M on the English broadcast of the match, 10.2M on Spanish broadcast.
The tournament's likely peak audience came in Team USA's Round of 16 elimination by Belgium: a combined 47.9M, with 34.2M on English broadcast and 13.7M on Spanish broadcast.
English and Spanish broadcast audiences have split in how they're consuming the games. Linear holds a 47-51% share across all English broadcasts of Team USA games, while Peacock commands a majority share of the Spanish broadcasts.
Team USA's elimination doesn't mean advertisers should pull back, the World Cup is still drawing big audiences. Last weekend's England vs. Norway game averaged a combined 28.0M viewers: 17.8M on the English broadcast, 12.2M on the Spanish broadcast. That's a larger audience than Game 5 of this year's NBA Finals.
Stay tuned for our Q3 report to see how the rest of the World Cup fared.
What This Means for You
Projected record spending in the 2026 political campaign cycle threatens to crowd out other advertisers looking to make noise. However, there are still plenty of opportunities for brands.
Whether it is reality television or live sports, viewers want to be part of the conversation. Broadcast provides an avenue for brands looking to reach engaged audiences, while streaming television can help unlock opportunities for more localized brands. Smart brands will take a balanced approach by leaning into the advantage provided by each channel, helping them maximize the ad dollars that have to work a bit harder this year.
METHODOLOGY
All viewership data is generated from data collected through AdImpact’s Advanced TV panel of monitored Smart TVs, totaling over 23M TVs. This data includes viewing patterns and devices tracked using automated content recognition (ACR) technology.
The distinction between linear and non-linear content is based on whether it’s viewed via a set-top box, direct cable connection, or antenna (linear) or through a TV native app or OTT streaming device (non-linear). This data specifically focuses on live programming for the event and excludes non-live content.