Disney has sold out ad inventory for next February’s Super Bowl and also wrapped up 2026-27 upfront sales.
The news was announced by Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston during the company’s fiscal third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday.
The Super Bowl, which will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, has been a promotional area for Disney for several months. The game will be the first ever to air on ESPN, in a simulcast with ABC. The company is in the midst of a year-long runup to the game, with the marketing blitz to culminate with an “ESPN Beach” activation on the Santa Monica pier in February.
Drawn by recent momentum for live sports and the ongoing ratings clout of the NFL, 58 brands in 34 different categories have bought time, with nine first-time advertisers. Super Bowl LXI is slated for February 14, which is not only Valentine’s Day but next year is followed by the federal Presidents Day holiday.
Johnston did not offer any guidance of pricing, though reports have said spots commanded $8 million to $9 million for 30 seconds.
The Super Bowl crowned the company’s 2026–2027 upfront process, with execs citing total volume commitments up double digits versus last year.
While execs are “pleased” with the results of the upfront and is seeing “healthy” returns in sports, Johnston said, the streaming marketplace is a bit more challenging. “The growth of supply in the marketplace,” he said, is “creating some pricing pressure for us and for others, which you saw in our SVOD ad sales growth rate this quarter.”
In global territories, especially EMEA, the exec added, “we’re seeing real demand for Disney+ as we expand our ad tier and we optimize the sell-through in our growth markets.”
Category-wise, he added, “as is typically the case, it’s a bit of a mix. We’re seeing good momentum in healthcare and financial services and in political categories, while telecom and restaurants and CPG are displaying some softness, as you would expect with the consumer environment these days.”
In a statement, Disney ad chief Rita Ferro highlighted “can’t-miss moments” on the schedule beyond live sports, including the Oscars, the Grammys, the CMA Awards and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
