Pharma TV Ad Costs 1-4-26

In 2025, the pharmaceutical industry invested heavily in TV ads, with total spending surpassing $7 billion by year-end, a significant increase from 2024, driven by broad reach for conditions like weight loss and mental health, despite ongoing scrutiny and potential new regulations. Key areas included major spending on GLP-1 drugs (Wegovy, Ozempic), inflammatory treatments, and high-profile spending during NFL games, with top networks like ABC, NBC, and CBS capturing the most dollars.  

Key Spending Trends & Figures

Total Spend: Over $7 billion poured into linear TV ads by early December 2025, up around 16% year-over-year, according to iSpot.tv data reported by Fierce Pharma and Medical Marketing and Media.

Monthly Spikes: October 2025 saw a monthly high of $601 million in national TV spending, notes eMarketer.

Top Categories: Weight loss (Wegovy), diabetes (Ozempic, Mounjaro), and mental health drugs were major drivers, notes eMarketer and Xtalks.

Network Dominance: ABC, CBS, and NBC captured significant shares, especially during NFL games, reports Study Finds. 

Context & Challenges

Increased Scrutiny: Throughout 2025, the industry faced increased pressure and potential regulatory actions from the Trump administration and FDA regarding ad accuracy and required side-effect disclosures, notes Healthcare Brew and TVTechnology.

Ad Fatigue: Despite high spending, reports suggested signs of ad fatigue, with pharma's heavy presence potentially impacting its premium ad value, according to Medical Marketing and Media and MediaPost. 

In 2025, pharmaceutical companies spent over $7 billion on national linear television advertising through the first 11 months of the year. This represents a significant 16% increase year-over-year compared to 2024, despite a broader industry shift toward digital platforms. 

Key Spending Statistics for 2025

Total Annual Projection: While final year-end totals for December are pending, traditional ad spending (which includes TV) was estimated to reach $7.9 billion for the full year.

Monthly Peaks: October 2025 saw a monthly high for the sector, with drugmakers spending approximately $601 million on national TV media, a 28% increase over the previous year.

Ad Volume: Through November, the industry generated roughly 710.6 billion impressions from 3.77 million ad airings, totaling 2.5 million minutes of airtime. 

Top-Spending Categories & Brands

A small group of high-revenue brands dominated the TV airwaves in 2025: 

GLP-1/Weight Loss Drugs: This category was a major driver of growth. Wegovy led the sector, accounting for 6.31% of all pharmaceutical TV spending. Other high spenders included Ozempic, Zepbound, and Mounjaro.

Immunology: Drugs for conditions like psoriasis and Crohn's disease remained top spenders. Leading brands included Skyrizi (approx. $104.6M in Q3), Tremfya ($78.2M in Q3), and Rinvoq ($74.5M in Q3).

Mental Health: New entrants in the schizophrenia and depression categories, such as Cobenfy and Auvelity, bolstered late-year spending. 

Shifting Ad Landscape

While linear TV spending grew in 2025, it was surpassed for the first time by other mediums: 

Digital Dominance: Healthcare and pharma digital ad spending reached $24.8 billion in 2025.

Social Media vs. TV: 2025 marked the first year that social media advertising outpaced linear TV spending in the healthcare and pharma sectors.

Ad Fatigue: Despite the high spend, research indicated that more than half of American consumers reported pharma ad fatigue, leading brands to experiment more with Connected TV (CTV) and targeted digital formats. 

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Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader