Without Sporting Events, Auto Industry's Ad Spend Plummets

Carmakers spent less than half in March and April compared to 2019

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Following the mandated shutdowns due to Covid-19, the auto industry’s spending on television advertising fell between 55% and 70% in late March and April of this year, according to iSpot, a company that tracks national TV ads and correlates digital responses.

The shutdown is a direct cause of the sudden decrease: Between March 12 and April 30, auto brands spent $345.1 million on advertising. About $148.4 million of that was spent in April, according to iSpot’s estimated TV spend, meaning that the second half of March accounted for a greater spend than the entire month of April.

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