And Oscar goes to Madison Avenue.
Disney has sold out all available commercial inventory related to the March 15 Oscars telecast, John Campbell, senior vice president of entertainment and streaming solutions at Disney Advertising, said in an interview Thursday. He declined to comment on the cost of the 30-second ad at the glitzy event, but people familiar with the negotiations said Disney has sought between $1.7 million and $2.2 million for commercial packages in recent years.
The 2026 Oscars telecast has attracted 18 continuing sponsors and 24 new sponsors, according to people familiar with the matter.
Live event programming is “a huge driver of business for our clients,” Campbell said, noting that advertising demand for the 2026 Oscars rose significantly during last year’s “upfront” sales season, when TV networks tried to sell the bulk of their commercial inventory for the next programming cycle. Disney sought to turn Oscar ad queries into larger sales conversations related to next year’s growing schedule of live content, including the Super Bowl, Grammy Awards and “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve.”
Although the Oscars attract significantly smaller audiences than the Super Bowl, the film awards show remains one of TV’s biggest events, attracting an average of 19.7 million viewers last year, 1% higher than the 2024 attendance figure. Some advertisers try to attract attention with new commercials that introduce new products or show dynamic scenes. Cryptocurrency trader Coinbase is set to debut a new ad featuring a video game character trying to escape his world.
Some marketers have struck deals that require non-negligible placement in and around the show. Campbell said Burger King will let you hear “toss” from the show before the commercial appears on screen. Mazda is also working on putting the spotlight on up-and-coming filmmakers. Two of the company’s ads will air on linear broadcasts, and others will appear as interactive commercials on Disney’s streaming service, where subscribers can choose which commercials they want to see.
Other contracts call for commercial appearances on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and syndicated “Live with Kelly and Mark” the following day. Others include ABC’s red carpet pre-show or after-show. Campbell said Pfizer plans to run interactive streaming ads that use the Oscar symbol and intellectual property.
Rolex will be one of the Oscars’ top sponsors for the ninth year, and Burger King will be joining the category for the first time. Additional advertisers include Disney Cruise Line. Dunkin; Eli Lilly; Eucerin; Intuit TurboTax; L’Oreal; McDonald’s. Microsoft; Mibo; Paris Baguette. Peacock; Starbucks; State Farm; Toyota; and Verizon.
