The Expanded College Football Playoff Format Boosts Disney’s TV Networks
The first season of the 12-team College Football Playoff format has brought unprecedented viewership and engagement to Disney’s TV networks, including ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. The expanded format has given more teams and fans a chance to compete for the national championship, resulting in record-breaking viewership across Disney’s platforms.
According to EDO, an advertising data company, consumers are 11% more likely to engage with ads during college football games on Disney networks through week 10 compared to the competitive broadcast and cable prime-time average. This increased engagement has made the ad slots more valuable to advertisers, with consumer packaged goods brands, restaurants, and pharmaceutical products seeing particularly strong consumer engagement.
The ad performance during the Thanksgiving weekend slew of games on Disney’s networks is expected to surge again this year, after an already strong 2023. EDO estimates that the ads during Disney’s games were 93% more effective last year than the programming happening in the same time slot on other networks.
Disney’s senior vice president of advertising revenue and yield management, Jim Minnich, attributes the company’s success to the College Football Playoff format change, stating that the company has seen “unbelievable success” and is sold out of its spots through the conference championship games.
The media company’s strong performance in college football advertising is driven by the format change, which has increased the intrigue around the games earlier in the season. Disney is reportedly paying around $300 million annually for SEC rights over the next 10 years, and its competitors, including Paramount’s CBS Sports, Fox Corp., and Comcast’s NBC Sports, are also reaping the benefits of the expanded format.
College football has remained the last bastion of solid ratings for TV networks, with live sports remaining a key driver of advertising revenue. As the media industry faces significant turmoil, Disney’s strong performance in college football advertising is a bright spot for the company.
