During an earnings call on Wednesday, the company announced it closed its upfront with total volume commitments up double digits year over year, and it has achieved an ad inventory sellout for Super Bowl LXI.
Ahead of the company’s upfront presentation in May, Rita Ferro, president, global advertising, The Walt Disney Company, told ADWEEK that the company wanted to ensure a variety of advertisers that are also thinking about making strong creative.
And it seems Disney executed that exact playbook.
Regarding the 2027 Super Bowl, the company said it had 58 brands across 34 distinct categories, including financial services, candy, personal care, and software.
The company calls its Big Game advertisers “one of the broadest advertiser and category mixes in Super Bowl history,” with nine brands being first-time advertisers in the Big Game.
Disney noted that brands are taking on a variety of sponsorship opportunities, including innovative integrations and custom content across the NFL’s biggest moments, as well as Super Bowl week activations and its ESPN Beach celebration.
“Our upfront and a sold-out Super Bowl LXI make it clear: Brands see Disney as a must-have investment—one built on our ability to deliver audiences at scale, across live events and streaming, all year long,” Ferro said in a statement. “That momentum carries through our live event calendar too—from The Oscars and The Grammys to New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, the College Football Playoff, and the CMA Awards, advertisers keep showing up for the can’t-miss moments only Disney can deliver.”
According to reports, after Disney initially sought as much as $10 million for 30-second Super Bowl ads, pricing settled in the $8 million to $9 million range.
Like the other upfront week presenters that have closed negotiations, Disney didn’t provide specific numbers around cost per thousand viewers reached (CPMs) or total volume.
With the news, Disney joins Fox, NBCUniversal, and Amazon, among others, in closing their upfronts.
