The Sounds of March Madness
Songtradr data reveals which songs from ads aired during the tournament resonated most
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, otherwise known as March Madness, is more than just a series of basketball games. It’s an annual tentpole event drawing millions of viewers, making it one of the more competitive advertising opportunities of the year.
The top ads spots of the tournament generate hundreds of millions of impressions on TVs over the course of the event, many including music that resonates with viewers long after the spot airs. This often generates a surge of streaming by fans replaying the catchier tracks immediately after, generating no shortage of brand recall in the process.
Using Songtradr data, here’s a look at how songs from some of the tournament’s top commercials performed:
“Hey You” — Experience Unlimited
Featured in a New Balance ad featuring Kawhi Leonard and Jack Harlow that first ran last year, the E.U. track has been on a roll leading up to the NCAA tournament. Over the last 12 months, the ad has helped fuel a 17x surge in Spotify streams over the last 12 months, only sustained when New Balance re-ran the ad during the tournament.
“Ballroom Blitz” — Sweet
A classic to be sure, yet not licensed as often as one might expect for such an instantly recognizable song. Nissan’s use of the track in its “Ride Together” ad gave it heavy rotation during March Madness, and a boost in streams resulted. According to Songtradr data, Spotify streams for the track tripled since February 1 this year over the two months prior (from 1 million to 3 million streams).
“The Seed (2.0)” — The Roots
Originally released in 2002, the song is enjoying renewed popularity thanks to being featured in GMC’s “Outside and In” ad. The ad first appeared in fall of 2022, and a new version of the commercial was released for March Madness. It’s gotten over 1 million streams on Spotify since March 1, and has received 1.2 million more views on TikTok in the same timeframe.
