Disney Sells Out of Super Bowl LXI Ad Inventory
ESPN parent company Disney exhausted its inventory on an earlier schedule.
Super Bowl LXI, the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), is currently sold out for ad inventory, according to Disney. The upcoming football event, set to be held in Los Angeles, marks a significant moment in ESPN's history. During a financial earnings call, Disney's CFO, Hugh Johnston, confirmed that the ad slots are now fully booked, a fact that precedes NBC's sellout of Super Bowl LIX by nearly a month and Fox's by three months.
Despite not disclosing specific financials, Johnston mentioned that Disney's sports-related results from this spring's advertising upfront campaign grew by a "low teens" percentage. The company made Super Bowl LX a central focus of its May presentation in New York, emphasizing its role as a top-tier advertising investment due to its ability to deliver large audiences across live events and streaming platforms.
Disney reportedly aimed for $10 million per 30-second ad slot, but ultimately settled for a range of $8 to $9 million per slot after initial resistance from advertisers. The ad sales included 58 different brands across 34 categories, with nine of those being first-time advertisers. The extensive coverage of the game on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and Disney's streaming service is expected to contribute to its potential to break records in the U.S. television industry.
In contrast, Disney reported a mixed set of financial results for its fiscal third quarter. Overall revenue increased by 7% to $25.2 billion, while operating income rose by 21% to $5.56 billion. However, the sports segment, led by ESPN, experienced a decline in operating income by 17% to $858 million, largely due to increased NBA rights costs and the timing of rights fees, as well as fewer games in the NBA and NHL playoffs.
Disney also announced plans for further cost reductions, including potential layoffs and cuts in labor and administrative expenses. In a pointed comparison, Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro highlighted the company's strong performance compared to competitors like Comcast, owner of NBCUniversal, which recently reported softer park attendance at its Universal theme parks.
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