Comcast shelled out $482.7 million to market its Xfinity products during the first quarter of 2012, increasing its advertising spending by 4.3 percent compared to this time last year, research firm Kantar Media said Monday.

The nation's largest cable MSO was the second biggest advertiser nationwide, and was outspent only by consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, which spent $$685 million during the first quarter. Comcast outspent rival AT&T, which reduced its advertising by 31.6 percent to $288.9 million. It also spent more than Verizon, which reduced advertising by 9.2 percent to $358.6 million, according to Kantar.

National cable networks saw ad spending jump 7.4 percent during the first quarter, with sports programming driving the increased spending, Kantar said. Coverage of the NCAA Men's Baketball Tournament in March from ESPN and Turner Broadcasting's TBS, TNT and truTV led the increased spending on ads in cable programming.

Spending on Internet display ads dropped 4.1 percent during the first quarter. National newspapers took the biggest hit, with spending decreasing by 7.7 percent, Kantar said.