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Verizon vs AT&T vs T-Mobile vs Sprint TV ads: who spent what on carrier-bashing in October

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Nov 14, 2016, 5:08 AM

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Verizon vs AT&T vs T-Mobile vs Sprint TV ads: who spent what on carrier-bashing in October

We have to admit it, carrier TV ads are hilarious and a big source of revenue for both cable and air channels. The constant fight for subscribers in order to get or stay on top results in good chunks of change for advertising agencies, too, so who is on top from the big four US carriers when it came to ad spending last month. Why, the Big Red carrier, of course.

As you can see in the slideshow below, Verizon spent more than $90 million on 15 spots, with the most expensive run being the multiple fist pumps clip with Jamie Foxx. AT&T, on the other hand, spend much less, but still it ran the "Work Things" video you can see below for $20.8 million estimated worth at mostly Fox, CBS and ESPN.

Next in line is Sprint with $51 million spent, mostly for Paul the Sprint guy commercial. T-Mobile counts on viral marketing and lets its plans speak for themselves mostly, as it spent the least from the major four carriers by a large margin, despite that its most run clip features a celebrity like Ariana Grande. Given the increase in postpaid smartphone subs of more than a million in Q3, T-Mobile obviously gets a good bang for its advertising buck.

Verizon vs AT&T vs T-Mobile vs Sprint October ads - who spent what on funky TV clips

source: iSpot via FierceWireless

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.