Boosted by additional branding at the NBA All-Star Game -- and by more prominent in-venue NBA signage -- Kia surged six spots in a ranking of the most-exposed brands within televised U.S. sports, writes SBJ Atlas' Derick Moss, who analyzed a study conducted from June 1, 2022 through May 31 by Hive, an AI company whose tech supports sponsorship valuation.
The top five brands -- Nike, State Farm, Gatorade, Geico and Adidas -- are unchanged vs. rankings for the prior 12-month period. Nike, again the leader, earned $2.7 billion in earned media exposure over the most-recent period.
Chase and Capital One also surged into the top 10 this year. Chase’s ascendance came amid an increase in exposure during the Warriors’ title run last season at Chase Center and this season’s playoff appearance. Capital One’s move was driven by its new deal with MLB, which more than offset some decreased exposure in other areas like college football.
Falling out of the top 10 this year was Toyota, which dropped six spots without its prominent exposure during the Olympics. Bose, which notably ended its NFL sideline headset sponsorship, joined Verizon in falling out of the top 10 this year.
Several brands outside the top 10 made notable moves in the past 12 months, including Crypto.com, which rose 100 spots to No. 12 following a naming-rights pact at the home of the Lakers and Kings in downtown L.A. (along with an F1 deal and FIFA World Cup sponsorship). TD Ameritrade rose eight spots to No. 13, boosted by the Celtics’ Finals run last year and this year’s playoffs.
The World Cup also provided step-change exposure for a number of global brands not as present in most U.S. sports, including Qatar Airways, Wanda Group and Hisense, which all increased year-over-year by many multiples.
