Fitbit spent most on marketing of its wearable fitness devices last year. According to a new report from ad spending tracker Kantar Media — which didn’t count social media and online video — the company has spent about $21.6 across media like television, magazines and the Web to advertise its activity tracking products. Garmin came in second at $18.7 million, while Samsung was third with $11.6 million.

These three companies accounted for about three-quarters of the ad spending for the entire fitness tracking category last year; other notable ad spenders include Nike and Google, each of which committed about $3 million on advertising.

Of course, it is expected that Apple Watch changes things dramatically, as Cupertino-based giant is fighting for its place under the Sun.

That’s way things work in this market. In 2010, for example, Garmin accounted for 77% of market ad spending; a year later, Nike accounted for 42% of media spending thanks to push its Nike+ Training Club app, while Garmin dropped to 22%.

In 2013, Samsung didn’t spare dimes to tell everyone about its Galaxy Gear Smartwatch, making up nearly 89% of the wearable fitness ad market that year. Then last year, Fitbit upped its game as it invested heavily in promoting products like the Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Surge.

Interestingly, Kantar Media noted that the top three advertisers collectively spent 65% of their 2014 advertising budgets in this category on TV ads. And you would think that’s an old-school medium?

[Via: WSJ]