The Walt Disney Co. says it has wrapped up its best in company history, with streaming and live events like sports leading the way.
The company says it has received pledges totaling $9 billion, 40 percent of which was for digital and streaming. Disney’s upcoming Disney+ ad tier, joined by Hulu and ESPN+, led the streaming ad results.
Disney announced its Disney+ ad tier in March, with details promising at a later date. In May, the company used the event to highlight the premium content coming to the streaming service, including Marvel series such as She-Hulkand Dancing with the starsmoving from ABC to Disney+ in the fall.
And of course ESPN continues to dominate the live sports arena, driven by programming such as Monday night football and live NBA and MLB coverage. Sports remains one of the most in-demand areas for marketers.
“Disney Advertising entered our 2022-2023 Upfront committed to executing our strategic priorities – streaming, multicultural and inclusion, sports and entertainment – and we delivered,” said Rita Ferro, president of ad sales for Disney Media and Entertainment, in a statement. “This marks a historic close to our strongest Upfront ever, totaling $9 billion. I am proud to partner with all of our customers to reach audiences at scale across all screens and alongside the most premium content.”
The company also said it has secured “significant” commitments to diversity, equality and inclusive advertising. The strongest categories were financial services, media and entertainment, travel, pharmaceuticals and sports gaming.
