AutoNation advertising spend, FY2025
AutoNation (AN) reported $268M of advertising expense for the fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2025. That is 1.0% of revenue of $27.6B. Up 4.9% from FY2024.
Key facts
- Ad spend is 1.4x its FY2015 level ($189M), faster than revenue (1.3x).
- FY2025 is the highest year on file, going back to FY2009.
- Largest increase +32.1% in FY2023; largest cut -13.9% in FY2020.
- Ad spend has risen 5 years in a row.
- Ad spend is 1.0% of revenue, up from 0.8% in FY2020.
- AutoNation spends more on advertising than 46% of the 336 US-listed companies tracked. Its ad-to-revenue ratio is below the median of 5.2%.
Ad spend by fiscal year
Ad spend as % of revenue
History
Download CSV| Fiscal year | Period end | Ad spend | YoY | Revenue | Ad / revenue | Tag | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Dec 31, 2025 | $268M | +4.9% | $27.6B | 1.0% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 12, 2026 |
| FY2024 | Dec 31, 2024 | $256M | +4.9% | $26.8B | 1.0% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 12, 2026 |
| FY2023 | Dec 31, 2023 | $244M | +32.1% | $26.9B | 0.9% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 12, 2026 |
| FY2022 | Dec 31, 2022 | $184M | +8.2% | $27B | 0.7% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 14, 2025 |
| FY2021 | Dec 31, 2021 | $170M | +5.3% | $25.8B | 0.7% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 16, 2024 |
| FY2020 | Dec 31, 2020 | $162M | -13.9% | $20.4B | 0.8% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 17, 2023 |
| FY2019 | Dec 31, 2019 | $188M | -5.1% | $21.3B | 0.9% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 17, 2022 |
| FY2018 | Dec 31, 2018 | $198M | +2.6% | $21.4B | 0.9% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 16, 2021 |
| FY2017 | Dec 31, 2017 | $193M | -2.0% | $21.5B | 0.9% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 18, 2020 |
| FY2016 | Dec 31, 2016 | $197M | +4.4% | $21.6B | 0.9% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 22, 2019 |
| FY2015 | Dec 31, 2015 | $189M | +14.3% | $20.9B | 0.9% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 15, 2018 |
| FY2014 | Dec 31, 2014 | $165M | -0.9% | $19.1B | 0.9% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 9, 2017 |
| FY2013 | Dec 31, 2013 | $166M | +22.6% | $17.5B | 0.9% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 11, 2016 |
| FY2012 | Dec 31, 2012 | $136M | +4.2% | $15.7B | 0.9% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 11, 2015 |
| FY2011 | Dec 31, 2011 | $130M | +3.2% | $13.8B | 0.9% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 13, 2014 |
| FY2010 | Dec 31, 2010 | $126M | +8.8% | $12.5B | 1.0% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 15, 2013 |
| FY2009 | Dec 31, 2009 | $116M | n/a | $10.7B | 1.1% | AdvertisingExpense | 10-K Feb 13, 2012 |
What the figure is
Advertising costs as disclosed in the annual report (XBRL tag AdvertisingExpense).
Compared with similar spenders
The 6 companies closest to AutoNation in latest-year ad spend.
| Rank | Company | Ad spend | Ad / revenue | YoY | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 180 | Whirlpool | $276M | 1.8% | +4.5% | FY2025 |
| 181 | Robinhood Markets | $274M | 6.1% | +53.1% | FY2025 |
| 182 | GoDaddy | $274M | 5.5% | +8.7% | FY2025 |
| 183 | AutoNation | $268M | 1.0% | +4.9% | FY2025 |
| 184 | Covista | $267M | 13.7% | +8.0% | FY2026 |
| 185 | Sirius XM | $262M | 3.1% | -29.9% | FY2025 |
| 186 | Wingstop | $262M | 37.5% | +12.1% | FY2025 |
Full ranking of 336 companies · Biggest increases #181 · Lowest ad-to-revenue #30 · Up 5+ years in a row #63
Questions
How much does AutoNation spend on advertising?
AutoNation spent $268M on advertising in fiscal 2025, the year ended Dec 31, 2025, according to its 10-K filed Feb 12, 2026.
What percentage of revenue does AutoNation spend on advertising?
1.0% of revenue in fiscal 2025 ($268M of $27.6B). The median across the 336 companies tracked is 5.2%.
Is AutoNation spending more on advertising?
Yes. Ad spend rose 4.9% in fiscal 2025 from fiscal 2024. It has risen 5 years in a row.
How does AutoNation rank by advertising spend?
#183 of 336 US-listed companies with $100M or more in ad spend, ranked on each company's latest fiscal year.
What does AutoNation's advertising figure include?
Advertising costs as disclosed in the annual report (XBRL tag AdvertisingExpense).
Source
- Filing
- 10-K for FY2025, filed Feb 12, 2026
- Accession number
0001628280-26-007800- Company
- AUTONATION, INC., CIK 350698, SIC 5500 (Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations)
- Data
- SEC EDGAR XBRL company facts, retrieved Nov 4, 2026. Methodology.
- Cite
- AutoNation advertising spend, FY2009-FY2025. Aleksei Trudov, io.trudov.com, from SEC EDGAR XBRL company facts (latest: 10-K filed Feb 12, 2026), retrieved Nov 4, 2026. https://io.trudov.com/company/autonation/advertising-spend/
- Download
- CSV, all years · CSV, all 336 companies