MarketingProfs

MediaBuyerPlanner: ESPN’s NFL Monday Night Football commercial inventory and Saturday night ABC college football ad units are nearly sold out for the season. ESPN’s Monday Night Football and Saturday college games are exclusive games on those nights. Sunday sales have been slower paced with CBS, Fox and NBC all airing games on that day and night.
The heavy demand has allowed ESPN to price its football coverage at top of the market cpm increases across all of its platforms, Mediaweek reports.
The hottest new category for the telecasts has been the consumer electronics category. Financial/insurance is also hotter than usual, and traditionally strong categories like auto, beer and wireless also sold well.
ESPN is pushing a “surround” strategy that includes in-game units as well as advertising on every ESPN platform in the 24 hours following the game each week.
ESPN, The Magazine’s September 11 Football preview will have 110 ad pages, making it the biggest issue ever. General Motors has taken out an eight-page spreadThe magazine could rake in close to $10 million for the one issue.