The Oscars aren’t sold out yet, but Disney is getting closer to that milestone.
“We’re definitely ahead of where we were last year,” Rita Ferro, Walt Disney Co.’s president of global advertising sales, said in a recent interview. “We have 11 new customers for the main show.” Disney’s ABC will air the glitzy awards program on Sunday, March 15, but typically announces a sellout closer to the event date.
Last year’s Oscars were broadcast on ABC, streamed on Hulu, and included an extensive sponsorship package sponsored by L’Oréal and Eli Lilly, as well as advertisers such as Wingstop and GSK. In recent years, Disney has sought between $1.7 million and $2.2 million for 30-second ads at events. The executive said Disney typically sees increased interest in the Oscars at the beginning of the year and right after the Super Bowl. Last year’s Oscar telecast drew an average of 19.7 million viewers, 1% more than the 2024 attendance.
Ferro said Disney is preparing a schedule for next year that will feature large-scale tentpole live events related to sports and culture, and said he believes demand for the next Oscars bodes well for negotiations in the coming months. In 2027, the company plans to broadcast the first Grammy Awards on television under a new rights agreement, as well as the first Super Bowl in more than 20 years.
“We have a great year of live shows coming up,” Ferro says.
She believes advertisers will want to book early on packages that include ESPN’s regular college football championship game in January and the Super Bowl in February. The 2027 Grammy Awards will be broadcast on ABC and streamed on Hulu and Disney+. The company also owns the rights to “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve” and the CMA Awards.
In the streaming era, advertisers are increasingly interested in live events and sports telecasts. More people are switching from linear TV to streaming, allowing them to watch their favorite comedies and dramas whenever they want. But this dynamic creates a thorny dilemma for advertisers, who need to reach thousands or even millions of potential consumers with their commercials in order to spend their ad dollars effectively. And while sports is perhaps the last programming format that will continue to reliably draw large audiences, there is new hope that live specials and events can do the same.
As a result, more television networks are turning to bespoke events that must be watched every time they happen or would otherwise be spoiled for those who missed them. NBCUniversal pitched advertisers last season to participate in the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live,” and is also working on the 100th anniversary of the NBC broadcast network.
“The live stuff is monetized really well,” Ferro says.
To help advertisers get an early start on sports buying, Disney will host a special sports-focused presentation on March 24 to give potential customers an early look at the company’s plans ahead of the television industry’s annual “Upfront” sales market, which begins in May. “The demand for sports continues, creating new games and new opportunities,” Ferro said.
