Disney Sees Ad Dollars Go To Sports, Digital in Weak TV Upfront
variety.comBrian Steinberg Senior TV Editor A tough advertising market sent dollars toward Disney’s sports and streaming properties, the company said Tuesday, but not flocking at the same rate to its traditional TV networks. “Overall revenue and volume commitments made in the Upfront are in line with the prior year,” the company said in a statement.
Disney secured $9 billion in ad commitments in last year’s market, when U.S. TV networks try to sell the bulk of their commercial inventory ahead of their next cycle of programming.
Disney said it notched “single digit increases in sports volume and pricing,” while noting that “more than 40% of the total Upfront dollars committed this year are streaming and digital, led by Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu.” The company offered no comment about results for its ABC broadcast network, or it’s Freeform or FX cable outlets.
The results spotlight Madison Avenue’s increasing disenchantment with traditional primetime TV as a vehicle for reaching the millions of consumers whose dollars they crave.
Read more on variety.com