Sports Advertising Nears $4 Billion as Company Wraps Annual Negotiations with Advertisers
Disney Advertising has completed its 2025-2026 Upfront, with increased sales in sports and streaming and overall volume consistent with last year.
As the company continues to deepen its streaming commitments amid the acceleration of ad-supported inventory available globally across the marketplace, streaming volume was up and accounted for more than 40% of total upfront volume, consistent with the year prior.
Sports advertising volume across Linear and Addressable is nearly $4 billion. Sports highlights include the following:
- Sixty-nine multi-year deals, reaffirming client commitment to sports and the value of strategic, multi-year relationships
- Double-digit growth in volume for Monday Night Football and College Football
- Women’s Sports volume is up double digits, percentage wise, with demand for events like the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, WNBA, and emerging engagement around sports, like softball and volleyball
- The NBA saw high single-digit volume growth, driven by the NBA Finals and “Inside the NBA”
“As the velocity of change in the advertising landscape continues to accelerate, this Upfront demonstrates the enduring power of storytelling, premium environments, and that the value of trusted relationships matter to marketers,” said Rita Ferro, president, Global Advertising, Disney. “Our strength in streaming and live events delivers results at scale, and we’re shaping what’s next for the entire industry.”
Disney’s strength in live events also contributed to early bookings for tentpoles like “The Oscars®,” “CMA Awards,” and “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” “The Oscars” nearly doubled the number of units sold as part of the Upfront compared to last year.
Disney Advertising continued to expand its base of independent agencies, which saw double-digit volume growth across Sports and Streaming. Overall, categories including financial services, CPG, pharma and beverages continue to perform well, with strong growth in line with marketplace trends.