Pharmaceutical advertising during NFL regular season games proved dramatically more effective than standard broadcast placements during the 2025-26 season, according to TV measurement firm EDO.
Pharma ads airing during NFL regular season games were 104% more effective than the average pharma ad running on prime-time broadcast and cable television.
The scale of that advantage is striking, with a single average NFL pharma spot requiring 69 equivalent airings on standard prime-time programming to match its impact.
The volume of pharma advertising across the NFL season also grew considerably, with 332 total ads running over the 18-week regular season, a 13% year-on-year increase.
Effectiveness also improved compared to the prior year, with pharma NFL ads performing 9% better than during the previous season’s equivalent period.
Novartis has formalised its commitment to NFL advertising through a multi-year partnership with the league, marking the first such deal between a pharmaceutical company and the NFL.
Amgen’s Otezla, a treatment for plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, featured among the top performers, with its 10 airings proving 18% more effective than the average NFL pharma spot.
Novartis’ Pluvicto also appeared in the top tier of effective campaigns, delivering 11% above-average effectiveness across 13 airings during the season.
The data underscores a broader shift in pharmaceutical marketing strategy, with major drugmakers increasingly viewing live sports as a premium environment for reaching large and engaged audiences.
NFL games continue to attract some of the largest live television audiences in the United States, making them a uniquely valuable platform for brands competing in crowded therapeutic categories.
The findings reflect growing confidence among pharmaceutical advertisers that sports programming delivers measurable returns that traditional prime-time placements cannot replicate at equivalent scale.