J&J’s Tremfya retakes ad spending throne in June as Haleon tops pharma’s World Cup airings

After several months of AbbVie leading pharma’s monthly ad spend, Johnson & Johnson is back as Tremfya topped June’s rankings.

J&J’s immunology drug saw spend slightly down by $2.2 million over May, but this was still enough to regain the lead from AbbVie’s rival med Skyrizi, according to data from iSpot.TV. 

AbbVie’s spend dropped like a stone in June for Skyrizi, down from $38.9 million in May to just $23.3 million last month. 

AbbVie’s second blockbuster immunology med Rinvoq took its usual third place, with spend also seeing a big fall, down $7.5 million month over month. 

Eli Lilly’s obesity drug Zepbound came in fourth, just as it did in May, while J&J was back again in fifth place with its atypical antipsychotic drug Caplyta. 

Lundbeck and Otsuka’s neurology drug Rexulti moved up one spot to sixth position. And AbbVie’s Botox made an unusual appearance in seventh place, having not been listed last month or for much of the past year. 

Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s diabetes and kidney disease drug Jardiance took its accustomed eighth place, with spend hitting $9.9 million, down from $13.4 million in May. 

The final two places in the top 10 are drugs not listed last month. The spots includes GSK’s respiratory therapy Trelegy and ViiV Healthcare’s long-acting HIV treatment Cabenuva.

Fierce also asked iSpot.TV for a rundown of the pharma companies that have aired ads during English-language FIFA World Cup matches from the start of the tournament through Sunday July 7. 

There has been a real dearth of pharma ads during this period as, according to iSpot.TV, there are few overall ad breaks (given it is live sports) and “most of them go to sponsors." 

GSK’s consumer spin off Haleon took the top billing with the most airings in this period (44), with J&J taking second place with Tremfya for psoriatic arthritis at 13 airings. Haleon’s top position is no surprise given that the company has several marketing tie-ups with the World Cup. 

Lilly’s new obesity pill Foundayo, meanwhile, took the third World Cup spot with seven airings. 

A full list of June’s biggest ad spenders as compiled by iSpot.TV are below. 

 

1. Tremfya 

Movement: Up one spot

What is it? J&J’s immunology drug 

Est. national linear TV ad spend: $36.6 million (down from $38.8 million in May)

  • UC/Crohn’s disease: $16.4 million
  • Psoriasis: $2 million
  • Psoriatic Arthritis: $18.2 million

Top TV network by spend share of voice (SOV): ABC (18.40%)

Top TV program by spend SOV: FIFA World Cup 2026 (10.56%)

Number of spots: Six (three psoriatic arthritis, two psoriasis, one UC/Crohn’s disease) 

Biggest-ticket ad: “A Million Miles Away: Travels” (est. $16.7 million)

 

2. Skyrizi  

Movement: Down one spot

What is it? AbbVie’s immunology drug 

Est. national linear TV ad spend: $23.3 million (down from $38.9 million in May)

  • UC/Crohn’s disease: $13.2 million
  • Psoriasis: $7.9 million
  • Psoriatic arthritis: $2.2 million

Top TV network by spend SOV: ABC (14.57%)

Top TV program by spend SOV: America’s Got Talent (2.67%)

Number of spots: Five (one psoriatic arthritis, two psoriasis, two UC/Crohn’s disease) 

Biggest-ticket ad: “In the Picture: Tailgate and Mini Golf” (est. $6.7 million)

 

3. Rinvoq 

Movement: No change

What is it? AbbVie’s JAK immunology drug

Est. national linear TV ad spend: $22.1 million (down from $29.6 million in May)

  • Arthritis: $9 million
  • Eczema: $7 million
  • UC/Crohn’s: $6.2 million

Top TV network by spend SOV: ABC (18.21%)

Top TV program by spend SOV: America’s Got Talent (3.41%) 

Number of spots: Four (one arthritis, one UC/Crohn’s disease, two eczema)

Biggest-ticket ad: “Another Day” (est. $9 million)

 

4. Zepbound 

Movement: No change

What is it?  Eli Lilly’s obesity drug

Est. national linear TV ad spend: $18.8 million (down from $22.7 million in May)

Top TV network by spend SOV: ABC (33.31%)

Top TV program by spend SOV: NBA (16.82%)

Number of spots: Nine 

Biggest-ticket ad: “Watch This: Data” (est. $4.6 million)

 

5. Caplyta 

Movement: No change

What is it?  Johnson & Johnson’s atypical antipsychotic drug

Est. national linear TV ad spend: $16.4 million (down from $19 million in May)

  • Bipolar depression: $2.5 million
  • MDD: $13.9 million

Top TV network by spend SOV: Fox (10.63%)

Top TV program by spend SOV: Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026 (11.76%) 

Number of spots: Four (three MDD, one bipolar)

Biggest-ticket ad: “Let in the Lyte: Greater Relief” (est. $5.6 million)

 

6. Rexulti (depression)

Movement: Up one spot

What is it? Lundbeck and Otsuka’s neurology drug

Est. national linear TV ad spend: $15.3 million (up from $14.2 million in May)

Top TV network by spend SOV: CBS (11.76%)

Top TV program by spend SOV: NCIS (3.57%)

Number of spots: One

Biggest-ticket ad: “Progress” (est. $15.3 million)

 

7. Botox

Movement: Not listed last month

What is it? AbbVie’s injection for aesthetic and therapeutic conditions

Est. national linear TV ad spend: $10.8 million (up from $7.4 million in May)

  • Migraine: $5.9 million
  • Cosmetic: $4.9 million

Top TV network by spend SOV: CBS (9.03%)

Top TV program by spend SOV: Forensic Files (2.99%) 

Number of spots: Six (four cosmetic, two migraine)

Biggest-ticket ad: “Spectator” (est. $5.4 million)

 

8. Jardiance

Movement: No change

What is it? Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s diabetes and kidney disease drug

Est. national linear TV ad spend: $9.9 million (down from $13.4 million in May)

  • CKD: $3.5 million
  • Diabetes: $6.5 million

Top TV network by spend SOV: ABC (16.75%)

Top TV program by spend SOV: NBA (9.19%)

Number of spots: Three (two CKD, one diabetes)

Biggest-ticket ad: “Behind the Scenes” (est. $6.5 million)

 

9. Trelegy

Movement: Not listed last month

What is it? GSK’s respiratory therapy 

Est. national linear TV ad spend: $8.7 million (up from $5.2 million in May)

Top TV network by spend SOV: ABC (22.11%)

Top TV program by spend SOV: ABC World News Tonight With David Muir (9.90%)

Number of spots: Two

Biggest-ticket ad: “An Ugly Reality” (est. $4.7 million)

 

10. Cabenuva

Movement: Not listed last month

What is it? ViiV Healthcare’s long-acting HIV treatment 

Est. national linear TV ad spend: $8.6 million (up from $6.3 million in May)

Top TV network by spend SOV: Telemundo (33.83%)

Top TV program by spend SOV: Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026 (33.32%)

Number of spots: Four

Biggest-ticket ad: “Playa” (est. $3.5 million)