March Madness Ad Surge While Stock Market Slump Puts Wealthy Spending at Risk: The Week of March 17th
March is bringing the madness… on and off the court. Women’s basketball is having a slam dunk moment, with ad sales for the NCAA tournament skyrocketing 200%. Meanwhile, elite colleges are racing to the bond market, locking in funding before potential financial shake-ups. Over in the UK, the Bank of England is playing it safe, keeping interest rates at 4.5% as economic uncertainty swirls. In the business world, PepsiCo is popping into the prebiotic soda game with a $2 billion bet on Poppi, while Wall Street is on a rollercoaster, and gold prices are glittering at a record $3,000 per ounce. Buckle up – it’s a wild ride for brands, investors, and businesses navigating today’s shifting landscape.
Check out all of the details:
March Madness scores more ad buys, but women’s basketball is the big winner: March Madness is proving to be a major win for women’s basketball, with ad sales for the NCAA tournament surging by 200% compared to last year. Disney Advertising reports that 95% of the tournament’s ad inventory has already been sold, with championship game spots selling out over three months in advance. This surge reflects the growing audience and engagement in women’s sports, attracting increased investment from brands across industries – an encouraging sign for advertisers looking to tap into highly engaged and expanding fan bases.
Elite colleges in Trump’s crosshairs rush to bond market at record pace: America’s most prestigious colleges are rushing to the debt market at the fastest pace on record, locking in financing while they can to pay for campus projects or refinance debt against a backdrop of tax and funding threats. Municipal bond sales for higher education are up more than 40% so far in 2025 compared to the same period a year earlier, reaching nearly $10 billion and eclipsing the prior record start to a year in 2017, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Interest rates set to stay at 4.5% as Bank of England faces ‘fog of uncertainty’: The Bank of England is expected to keep interest rates on hold as policymakers face a “fog of uncertainty” over President Trump’s developing tariff policy and upcoming UK tax rises. Experts widely think that the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will hold rates at 4.5% on Thursday.
PepsiCo buys prebiotic soda brand Poppi for nearly $2 billion: PepsiCo said Monday that it is buying prebiotic soda brand Poppi for nearly $2 billion. While soda consumption has broadly fallen over the last two decades in the U.S., prebiotic sodas, fueled by industry newcomers Poppi and Olipop, have won over health-conscious consumers over the last five years. The category’s growth makes it attractive for Pepsi and its rival, Coca-Cola, which recently launched its own prebiotic soda brand, Simply Pop.
Slumping stocks threaten a pillar of the economy: The stock-market correction in recent weeks is more than a potential symptom of a slumping economy. It could cause a slump. After cheering President Trump’s election in November, the market has sunk as investors worry that the White House’s aggressive and fast-changing tariff war could scuttle a soft landing. On Thursday, the S&P 500 closed down more than 10% from its February high, meeting the rule of thumb for a correction.
Gold price hits $3,000 as trade tensions mount: The price of gold has hit the $3,000 per ounce mark for the first time as demand for the precious metal surges amid economic uncertainty over the impact of a global trade war. Gold touched a record $3,004.86 per ounce on Friday, with prices having risen by 14% since the start of 2025. Gold is seen as a safer asset for investors and is often sought after in times of economic instability.
We hope you have a productive week! Check out more insights from the Vested team here.
