Skyrizi Led National TV Pharma Advertising in August 2026
Pharma marketers increased focus on sports programming as Skyrizi captured the largest share of national TV impressions.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Advertising
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In August 2026, Skyrizi secured the top spot in national TV pharmaceutical advertising, generating 2.8 billion impressions and a 4.9% share of voice. This period also saw a 289% year-over-year surge in pharmaceutical impressions across WNBA programming.
Why it matters
The shift toward sports-integrated advertising reflects a strategic pivot in how pharmaceutical brands reach targeted demographics in a fragmented media landscape. Brands are increasingly leveraging high-engagement live sports to maintain visibility among aging and condition-specific audiences.
Skyrizi claimed a 4.9% share of voice with 2.8 billion impressions, while Bimzelx spent $31.2 million to secure the fifth-highest impression ranking. Meanwhile, Claritin emerged as the leading OTC brand on national TV.
The players
Skyrizi
A pharmaceutical product used for plaque psoriasis and related conditions that maintains high-visibility direct-to-consumer advertising.
Colgate
A global consumer goods company specializing in oral care products that frequently utilizes high-volume digital video campaigns.
ABC
A major broadcast television network that captured 10.95% of total pharmaceutical advertising impressions in August.
The details
Pharmaceutical brands are prioritizing high-reach sports programming to maximize impact, with Bimzelx specifically utilizing NFL preseason slots to drive visibility. Digital strategies are also diversifying, as evidenced by Colgate’s mix of traditional ad spend and the publication of 18 YouTube Shorts to reach 160 million views.
Timeline
August 2025: WNBA programming began scaling reach to pharma audiences.
July 2026: Claritin achieved 151 million views on YouTube.
August 2026: Top rankings for national TV and YouTube advertising were finalized.
Market Landscape
The aggressive capture of impressions via live sports programming follows a documented industry trend of prioritizing high-engagement events to offset declining linear TV reach. This strategy marks a departure from reliance on general news or syndication blocks in favor of targeted demographic access.
Marketers should track the escalating costs of sports-related inventory as demand from pharma brands continues to spike. Operators must evaluate whether the high cost of broadcast impressions justifies the ROI compared to emerging digital video strategies like short-form content.
The takeaway
Pharmaceutical brands are successfully utilizing sports programming to maintain massive impression numbers in a crowded market. CMOs should monitor the 289% growth in WNBA ad placements as a benchmark for where competitor spend is migrating this season.
Further reading
For more on evolving media spend, see Advertising.
Source note: This article includes information reported by MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media.
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Does seeing constant TV ads for prescription drugs make you trust those medications more?
