As summer began and temperatures rose in June, so too did TV ad spending for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy.
The GLP-1 obesity med soared to the top of the month’s ranking of TV drug ad spenders, according to data shared with Fierce Pharma Marketing by iSpot.TV, repeating an occurrence last seen in March.
Novo shelled out just under $40 million to air one Wegovy ad throughout the month of June—quite a ways above its $24.1 million outlay in May, when it slipped to fifth place in the rankings, and almost even with the $40.4 million spend that earned it the top spot in March.
And, just like the last time it was on top, Wegovy once again capitalized on a major basketball event taking over TV screens: According to iSpot, the top TV program for the drug’s singular commercial in June was NBA coverage, as the league’s championship series played out throughout the month. In March, Wegovy’s top TV program by spend was men’s college basketball, amid the kickoff of the annual NCAA March Madness tournament.
Wegovy’s sister drug, meanwhile, stayed put toward the bottom of the top 10 list in June. Ozempic held onto its ninth-place ranking from May, with $11.5 million spent airing a pair of commercials.
Falling in line behind Wegovy was a trio of mainstays on the monthly rankings, as AbbVie’s Skyrizi and Rinvoq and Johnson & Johnson’s Tremfya took the next three slots, respectively. TV ad spending for Rinvoq and Tremfya notched upward, while Skyrizi’s fell to $30.3 million for the month, compared to the $34.2 million outlay that earned it the No. 1 spot in May.
Next up, Lundbeck and Otsuka’s Rexulti, Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s Jardiance and Lilly’s Zepbound each jumped one spot compared with their May rankings, thanks in large part to a major drop in spending for Dupixent’s TV advertising. In May, Sanofi and Regeneron threw more than $28 million behind the immunology med, sending it up to second place in the month’s analysis; in June, that spending was slashed by more than 50% to $13.8 million, pushing it down to No. 8.
Behind Ozempic, rounding out June’s biggest TV ad spenders was Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo, which made its triumphant return to the monthly top 10 lists for the first time since May 2024, with $10.3 million spent airing a single commercial.
All together, the top 10 brands poured $219.4 million into airing their TV ads in June, continuing the steady downward trend logged almost every month this year after January’s staggering $302.5 million total.
That said, 2025’s monthly totals so far have also adhered to another, more positive trend, with each significantly outperforming the top 10 list a year prior. Last June, for example, the biggest spenders shelled out a combined $151.7 million for their TV ads, meaning this June’s results surged nearly 45% year over year, even as they dropped sequentially from May’s $221.1 million total.
Below, find the full data for June 2025’s 10 biggest pharma ad spenders, as compiled by iSpot.TV.
1. Wegovy
Movement: Up four spots
What is it? Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 agonist for obesity
Est. national TV ad spend: $39.9 million (up from $24.1 million in May)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “Discover the Power: $0” (est. $39.9 million)
2. Skyrizi
Movement: Down one spot
What is it? AbbVie’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $30.3 million (down from $34.2 million in May)
Number of spots: Four (three psoriasis, one Crohn’s/UC)
Biggest-ticket ad: “In the Picture” (est. $15.8 million)
3. Rinvoq
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? AbbVie’s JAKi immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $28 million (up from $26.6 million in May)
Number of spots: Five (two eczema, two UC/Crohn’s, one arthritis)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Just Okay: Jet Ski” (est. $10.9 million)
4. Tremfya
Movement: Down one spot
What is it? Johnson & Johnson’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $27.6 million (up from $26.7 million in May)
Number of spots: Six (four psoriasis, two ulcerative colitis/Crohn’s disease)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Break Away: Relentless Weed” (est. $12.7 million)
5. Rexulti
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? Lundbeck and Otsuka’s neurology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $25.8 million (up from $22.5 million in May)
Number of spots: Two (one depression, one Alzheimer’s)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Still Masking: Garage and Office” (est. $13.5 million)
6. Jardiance
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s diabetes and kidney disease drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $17.2 million (down from $18.9 million in May)
Number of spots: Four (two CKD, two diabetes)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Musical: Baseball” (est. $8.2 million)
7. Zepbound
Movement: Up one spot
What is it? Eli Lilly’s GIP/GLP-1 agonist for obesity
Est. national TV ad spend: $15 million (up from $14 million in May)
Number of spots: Three
Biggest-ticket ad: “Change: Savings Options” (est. $13.6 million)
8. Dupixent
Movement: Down six spots
What is it? Sanofi and Regeneron’s immunology drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $13.8 million (down from $28.2 million in May)
Number of spots: Nine (six eczema, three asthma)
Biggest-ticket ad: “Kenny” (est. $4.5 million)
9. Ozempic
Movement: No change
What is it? Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 agonist for diabetes
Est. national TV ad spend: $11.5 million (down from $13.1 million in May)
Number of spots: Two
Biggest-ticket ad: “Testimonials: Michael and Tanya” (est. $6.4 million)
10. Opdivo
Movement: Not listed last month
What is it? Bristol Myers Squibb’s cancer drug
Est. national TV ad spend: $10.3 million (up from $1.4 million in May)
Number of spots: One
Biggest-ticket ad: “This Is Me” (est. $10.3 million)