Record ad commitments for Disney

Disney has revealed that it has secured US$9 billion in commitments from advertisers for the 2022-23 fiscal year.

The figure is a record for the media giant, which is set to launch an ad-supported version of Disney+ in the US in late 2022. Streaming services Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu made up 40% of the total commitments, with Disney’s traditional TV business still proving to be a major draw for advertisers.

The record commitments also reflect Disney’s heavier investment in sports. In the first half of 2022, ESPN has picked up rights to the National Football League (NFL), Wimbledon and the Australian Open while renewing its rights for the English FA Cup. Streamer ESPN+ is also in the running for the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket, with the league set to decide on a winner between it, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video in the coming months. 

Highlighting the success of its sports rights, Disney said that pricing and volume for sports ads on ESPN and its other outlets increased by double-digit percentages for the second consecutive year.

The upfronts were also successful for Comcast-owned NBCUniversal, which saw its ad commitments exceed US$7 billion for the 2022-23 fiscal year.