Disney Sees Gains in Ad Commitments Thanks to Sports and Streaming

variety.com:

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorThe Walt Disney Company said it notched more commitments from advertisers in TV’s annual “upfront” market than last year, citing Madison Avenue’s interest in both sports and streaming content, echoing a sentiment heard from other TV giants as well.The owner of ABC and Disney+ said it notched around $9 billion in advance commitments from advertisers across its portfolio, which also includes FX, Hulu, Freeform and National Geographic.

During the upfront, U.S. TV companies try to sell the bulk of their advertising inventory in advance of the debut of their next cycle of new programming.

Disney secured between $1.66 billion to $2.18 billion last year for ABC’s primetime schedule in 2020, according to Variety estimates, and executives believe they were able to top those figures this year by a narrow amount. “Disney Advertising entered our 2022-2023 Upfront committed to executing on our strategic priorities — streaming, multicultural and inclusion, sports and entertainment — and we delivered,” Rita Ferro, president of advertising sales for Disney Media and Entertainment, said in a prepared statement. “This marks a historic close to our strongest Upfront ever, totaling $9 billion.

I am proud to partner with all of our clients to reach audiences at scale across all screens, and alongside the most premium content.”The company said it secured “double-digit increases in sports volume and pricing for the second year in a row that reflect the strength of our rights portfolio, and increased women’s sports offering.” Of total dollars committed, Disney said 40% were earmarked for streaming and digital media, including Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu.