Disney sells out all Super Bowl LXI ad slots
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Disney has confirmed it sold out all commercial advertising inventory for its 2027 broadcast of Super Bowl LXI, an outcome that looked uncertain only weeks earlier amid advertiser pushback over pricing. Chief financial officer Hugh Johnston announced the sell-out on an investor call, describing it as one of the broadest advertiser and category mixes in Super Bowl history. The speed of the sell-out is notable given Disney is broadcasting its first Super Bowl in two decades and had faced criticism for its initial pricing demands.
In total, 58 brands across 34 categories bought spots, including firms from financial services, confectionery, personal care and software, with nine of them first-time Super Bowl advertisers. Disney had initially sought up to $10 million for a 30-second slot before easing prices to $8-9 million, and also explored loosening the usual "incumbent" sponsor arrangements that favour long-term advertisers such as Anheuser-Busch InBev and PepsiCo. The sell-out came notably earlier than for recent Super Bowls handled by NBC and Fox. The game itself will air on ABC and ESPN on 14 February 2027 (Valentine's Day), with an alternative ESPN2 broadcast fronted by Peyton and Eli Manning.
- Disney sold out all Super Bowl LXI ad inventory ahead of schedule
- 58 brands, 34 categories, nine first-time advertisers signed up
- Prices eased from $10m to $8-9m per 30-second spot after pushback
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Disney's coverage of the Super Bowl is a big deal because it is a first: the company has not broadcast the NFL's championship game in twenty years, and this will be its debut, airing on ABC and ESPN in February 2027. Advertising slots during the Super Bowl are the most sought-after in American television, watched by tens of millions of people, so how quickly and expensively a broadcaster sells them is closely watched as a barometer of both the advertising market and the broadcaster's own standing.
Disney had set an ambitious asking price of up to $10 million for a 30-second advert, higher than what rivals have typically charged, which initially unsettled some advertisers before the company adjusted its pricing. It was also trying something unusual by opening the door to new sponsors rather than relying solely on the small group of "incumbent" brands that have traditionally bought Super Bowl slots year after year.
The other broadcasters mentioned, NBC and Fox, are useful for comparison because they have carried recent Super Bowls and give a sense of the normal timeline for selling out advertising space, which is usually much closer to the game itself.
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Originally published by Variety as “Disney Says Commercials for Super Bowl LXI Have Sold Out”.