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Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Disney Closes 2025 Upfront With Nearly $4 Billion in Sports Advertising
Streaming accounted for over 40% of the company's total upfront volume, which was consistent with the prior year Disney has closed its 2025-2026 Upfront negotiations, with increased sales in sports and streaming and overall volume consistent with the prior year. Streaming accounted for over 40% of total upfront volume, consistent with the prior year, while sports ad volume across linear and addressable hit nearly $4 billion. More from TheWrap Amazon Original Movies Physical Production Head Glenn Gainor Exits to Launch Hollywood Ventures Group Disney Closes 2025 Upfront With Nearly $4 Billion in Sports Advertising Versant Taps NBC Nightly News EP Meghan Rafferty as VP of News Standards Former NBC Cable President Tom Rogers Joins Versant as Senior Advisor Sports highlights included 69 multi-year deals, double-digit volume growth for 'Monday Night Football' and college football and a double-digit percentage increase in volume for women's sports such as the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, WNBA, and emerging engagement around sports, like softball and volleyball. The NBA also saw high single-digit volume growth, driven by the NBA Finals and 'Inside the NBA.' Elsewhere, the company saw strong demand for live events, with early bookings for 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. Categories that led the growth included financial services, consumer packaged goods, pharma and beverages. '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,' Disney global advertising president Rita Ferro said in a statement. 'Our strength in streaming and live events delivers results at scale, and we're shaping what's next for the entire industry.' Disney is the latest to close its upfront negotiations with growth and sports and streaming. Fox notably exceeded $2 billion in upfront revenue on core properties, excluding the World Cup, representing double-digit growth year-over-year. It also saw Tubi's volume of upfront ad dollars committed grow by 35% year-over-year. NBCUniversal saw a 15% increase in commitments across its broadcast offerings, including news, sports and entertainment, and touted its largest digital upfront and strongest sports upfront in history, though it offered no hard numbers. Peacock saw an over 20% year-over-year increase, representing nearly a third of the media giant's total upfront commitments. The company's new 11-year media rights deal with NBA contributed to a 20% increase in new clients compared to the 2024-2025 season and a 45% year-over-year increase in volume. Over 25% of NBCUniversal's NBA advertisers will be new to broadcast this year. Bravo represented nearly 20% of the company's entire entertainment demand across broadcast and cable and Versant saw a nearly 10% increase in clients investing in its brands. Meanwhile, Netflix executives told analysts during the company's second quarter earnings call that the 'vast majority' of its upfront deals with the major agencies have been completed. 'Those results have generally been in line or slightly better than our targets, and consistent with our goal to roughly double the ads business this year,' Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said. The post Disney Closes 2025 Upfront With Nearly $4 Billion in Sports Advertising appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Disney Says Upfront Volume Is Flat Despite Surge in Sports Ads
Walt Disney Co. says notable surges in advertising dollars committed to sports and streaming helped it match what it secured in last year's 'upfront' volume — but weren't enough to help it surpass that total. The parent of ABC, Disney+ and Hulu said overall 'upfront' volume was 'consistent with last year,' suggesting that TV companies are continuing to struggle to win greater advertising support even as Madison Avenue gravitates to the types of sports programming that Disney supplies through ESPN and its various platforms. More from Variety How to Watch Savannah Bananas Live Online Without Cable for Free Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia Livestream: How to Watch Top Rank Boxing Event Online Box Office: 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' Clobbers $57 Million Opening Day - Second-Biggest of the Year In 2024, Disney said it was able to win a 5% uptick in overall ad commitments tied to the upfront, when TV companies try to sell the bulk of their advertising inventory ahead of the industry's next cycle of programming. '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, Disney's president of global advertising. 'Our strength in streaming and live events delivers results at scale, and we're shaping what's next for the entire industry.' Disney's upfront results come after both NBCUniversal and Fox Corp. said they were able to win increases in volume from advertisers, owing to a heavy sports schedule. NBCU likely took a good chunk of money that had previously been earmarked for NBA telecasts on Warner Bros. Discovery's TNT, owing to a transfer of rights that put the league's games on NBC, Peacock and Amazon. NBC and Amazon launched early efforts to win that money — as well as, for NBC, dollars tied to next year's Winter Olympics and Super Bowl. Disney, too, saw robust spending tied to sports. The company said it secured sports-ad commitments across linear and digital worth 'nearly $4 billion.' Advertising committed to NBA games, which Disney continues to hold rights for, grew in the high-single-digit percentage range, driven in particular by the NBA Finals and expectations for 'Inside the NBA,' the popular TNT studio show that to which ESPN has secured rights. Ad volume tied to 'Monday Night Football' and college-football telecasts grew in the double-digit-percentage range, Disney said. Women's sports saw ad commitments grow in a similar range. Streaming volume was also up, Disney said, and 'accounted for more than 40% of total upfront volume, consistent with last year's market. The company also saw commitments increase for live live events, and noted it had secured 'early bookings' for 'The Oscars,' 'CMA Awards,' and 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest.' The company indicated that it almost doubled the number of ad units sold in the upfront tied to its annual 'Oscars' telecast, for which Disney usually seeks between $1.7 million and $2.2 million for a 30-second to come… Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Tracy McGrady joining NBC Sports as NBA studio analyst
NBC Sports continues to acquire Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers for its upcoming NBA coverage. The network announced Tuesday that it hired Tracy McGrady, the seven-time NBA All-Star and a member of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Class of 2017, as an NBA studio analyst for both NBC and Peacock. He joins fellow Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter on the studio show alongside hosts Maria Taylor and Ahmed Fareed. Michael Jordan was also announced as a special contributor to NBC Sports' upcoming coverage. Advertisement The thought behind NBC's NBA studio hires, according to someone briefed on the coverage philosophy, is to have enough on-air talent for scale. The company has a significant amount of NBA inventory arriving this year, including three consecutive nights of studio programming starting next February. There will be no set lineup for the studio; NBC plans to mix and match. NBC's other on-air hires include Jamal Crawford, Reggie Miller and Grant Hill. Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle are the main play-by-play voices. McGrady has worked in broadcasting for ESPN (where he appeared on 'The Jump') and TNT Sports, where he occasionally appeared on 'Inside the NBA.' He played 16 seasons in the NBA, including with the Toronto Raptors (1997-2000), Orlando Magic (2000-2004) and Houston Rockets (2004-2010). The Athletic named him in 2021 as one of the NBA's 75 Greatest Players. 'Basketball has given me everything, and I've always just tried to give that same energy back,' McGrady said in a statement. 'I hope I can bring the same passion, insight and love for the game that's driven me since I was a kid, to all who tune in to watch on NBC and Peacock. I couldn't be more excited to join this team alongside so many others I admire.' In July 2024, the NBA signed an 11-year media rights deal with NBC/Peacock, ABC/ESPN and Amazon Prime Video beginning in the 2025-26 season. The NBC/Peacock coverage begins on Tuesday, Oct. 21, on Peacock. NBC and Peacock will air coverage on Tuesday nights beginning in October. Big picture: NBC Sports will air up to 100 regular-season NBA games, including sometimes four games a week for portions of the season. After its 'Sunday Night Football' coverage concludes, NBC Sports will launch 'Sunday Night Basketball' across NBC and Peacock, which has a shot to hit as a successful franchise play, given Sunday still represents the most watched night on linear television.
NBC Sports
a day ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
TRACY MCGRADY TO JOIN NBC SPORTS AS NBA STUDIO ANALYST BEGINNING THIS FALL
Hall of Famer and Seven-Time NBA All-Star Begins Studio Analyst Role This Fall when the NBA Returns to NBC and Debuts on Peacock 2025-26 NBA Season Begins Oct. 21 on NBC and Peacock STAMFORD, Conn. – July 29, 2025 – Tracy McGrady, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and a seven-time NBA All-Star who is widely considered one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, will join NBC Sports as a studio analyst when the NBA returns to NBC and debuts on Peacock this fall. McGrady played 16 seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Toronto Raptors (1997-2000), Orlando Magic (2000-2004), and Houston Rockets (2004-2010). His illustrious career saw him earn multiple awards and accomplishments, including his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. McGrady was a seven-time NBA All-Star; a seven-time All-NBA selection, including First Team in 2002 and 2003; a two-time NBA scoring champion; the 2001 NBA Most Improved Player; and six top-10 finishes in NBA MVP voting. During his career, McGrady also spent time with the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and San Antonio Spurs. McGrady has broadcasting experience as well, joining ESPN in 2016 as an NBA analyst. During his tenure with the network, he appeared on programs such as SportsCenter, NBA Countdown, and The Jump. He also spent time as an NBA analyst for TNT Sports, appearing on Inside the NBA. 'I'm humbled and grateful for the opportunity to join NBC Sports as the game returns to a network that helped shape so many iconic basketball memories,' said McGrady. 'Basketball has given me everything, and I've always just tried to give that same energy back. I hope I can bring the same passion, insight, and love for the game that's driven me since I was a kid, to all who tune in to watch on NBC and Peacock. I couldn't be more excited to join this team alongside so many others I admire.' When McGrady joins NBC Sports in October for the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, he will be in studio one or more nights per week through the playoffs, often working alongside Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter, as well as hosts Maria Taylor and Ahmed Fareed. McGrady and Carter are cousins, and both started their NBA careers with the Raptors. 'Tracy has performed at the highest level both on and off the court and has already demonstrated his ability to deliver his unique perspective on air,' said Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports. 'Whether paired with Carmelo, Vince, or both, we're excited to see how this team of Hall of Famers comes together and breaks down the game.' During the prime of his career, McGrady was one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA. On December 9, 2004, while playing for the Rockets, he put on one of the most famous offensive displays of all time, scoring 13 points in the final 35 seconds of a game, including a last-second three-pointer, to clinch a comeback victory against the Spurs. The explosive sequence saw him hit four consecutive three-pointers, one of which was a four-point play. Additionally, McGrady's 2002-03 scoring average of 32.09 points per game was the second-highest average of the entire 2000's, second only to Kobe Bryant's 35.40 in 2005-06. The ninth overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, McGrady came to the NBA right after a decorated high school career split between Auburndale High School in Florida and Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C. During his senior year, he was named Mr. Basketball USA, a McDonald's All-American, and USA Today's High School Basketball Player of the Year. Since retiring from the NBA, McGrady has served as an NBA analyst for ESPN and TNT Sports. He also had a brief professional baseball career in 2014, joining the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball as a pitcher, where he made the team's Opening Day roster and started in the All-Star Game. For more information on McGrady, click here. The NBA returns to NBC and debuts on Peacock on Tuesday, Oct. 21, when the 2025-26 season tips off. Throughout the course of the season, NBC Sports will present up to 100 regular season NBA games -- including four games a week for portions of the season -- plus the playoffs. NBC and Peacock will present coverage on Tuesday nights beginning in October. After Sunday Night Football coverage concludes in 2026, NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock. Peacock will also livestream national Monday night games starting Oct. 27. *** In July 2024, NBCUniversal and the NBA announced an 11-year agreement to present NBA and WNBA regular-season and playoff basketball games across numerous platforms beginning with the 2025-26 season. For more information on the agreement, click here. NBC Sports has already announced that Jamal Crawford, Reggie Miller, Grant Hill, Brad Daugherty, Derek Fisher, Robbie Hummel, Austin Rivers, and Brian Scalabrine will serve as game analysts; Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter as studio analysts; Maria Taylor and Ahmed Fareed as studio hosts; and Mike Tirico, Noah Eagle, Terry Gannon and Michael Grady as play-by-play voices. Michael Jordan has been announced as a special contributor. Emmy Award-winning producer Frank DiGraci is NBC Sports' NBA coordinating producer. In a nod to its original era of NBA coverage from 1990-2002, NBC Sports is bringing back Roundball Rock, one of the most iconic and beloved theme songs in sports history, and will use an AI-generated voice of the late Jim Fagan, a longtime NBC Sports narrator whose voice was synonymous with its NBA coverage and promotion. ABOUT NBC SPORTS NBC Sports connects sports fans to the moments that matter most with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. As the sports division of NBCUniversal, NBC Sports produces, programs, and promotes premier content across numerous linear and digital platforms, including NBC and Peacock. NBC Sports possesses an unparalleled collection of media rights agreements, partnering and presenting many of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, NBA, WNBA, Big Ten Conference, Big East Conference, Notre Dame, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, USGA, PGA of America, The R&A, Churchill Downs, Premier League, and many more. It is renowned for making big events bigger and has produced some of the most-watched sporting events in U.S. media history, including Olympic Games, Super Bowls, and Sunday Night Football, primetime television's No. 1 show for 14 consecutive years. --NBC SPORTS--
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
The ‘real s–ty way' Charles Barkley found out ‘Inside the NBA' was moving to ESPN
Charles Barkley is furious with how he learned TNT lost 'Inside the NBA' to ESPN. 'I thought TNT, our bosses, did a s–ty job, they did an awful job of keeping us abreast,' said on Monday's 'Pardon My Take' podcast. 'We were playing golf during the playoffs and we were reading the internet, finding out if we were going to get fired or not. And I was like TNT, our bosses, they sucked, plain and simple. Like yo man, just tell us…shoot us straight. In the end, ESPN acquired the rights to 'Inside the NBA' from TNT as part of the NBA's new media deal, but Barkley said those involved with the show were in the dark until everything was official. Advertisement 'TNT never came to us like grown folks and said, 'Hey guys, we're probably gonna lose the NBA,' which we could've understood,' Barkley added. 'But I thought they sucked, I told them they sucked, because there's a way you treat people.' The Hall of Famer and analyst went on to note that he first learned the show's rights had been acquired by ESPN when he received texts from employees Scott Van Pelt, Brian Windhorst, Elle Duncan and Bob Myers welcoming him 'to the family.' Advertisement Charles Barkley on Monday's 'Pardon My Take' podcast. @VivaLaStool/X 'I'm like, 'What family? What are you talking about?' Then about an hour and a half later I get a call from TNT like, 'Well, the story broke,'' Barkley added. 'I said, 'Well, you probably could've given us a heads up.' 'You traded us to ESPN and we had to hear about it on the internet. That's just not the way you do business.' The 'Inside the NBA' crew on June 25, 2018. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Advertisement The Emmy-winning 'Inside the NBA' aired on TNT from 1989-2025, and the quartet of Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and host Ernie Johnson had been together for 14 years. Barkley himself joined the show in 2000 after the conclusion of his legendary playing career. The cast, which has become beloved by NBA fans for its chemistry and balance of analysis and humor, will remain together. The show will continue to be produced by TNT Sports in its Atlanta studios, but it will be broadcast by ESPN.
