Disney’s first ESPN Super Bowl is already turning into one of the biggest advertising stories of the year.
Super Bowl LXI is still months away, but Disney and ESPN are already making headlines — and this time, it is not about who will take the field. According to a new report, Disney has been working to sell commercial inventory for the 2027 Super Bowl, and the price tag attached to those coveted ad spots has sparked some serious advertiser pushback.
Disney reportedly first attempted to set the price for some Super Bowl LXI commercial spots at around $10 million for a 30-second ad before later moving to $9 million. While some ad spots were reportedly sold at those higher levels, advertisers and marketers pushed back on the pricing.
Now, according to recent reporting from Variety, Disney has sold a “significant chunk” of 30-second Super Bowl commercial spots for around $8 million each.
Super Bowl LXI will air on February 14, 2027, from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The game will mark a major milestone for Disney and ESPN, as it will be the first Super Bowl ever produced by ESPN. It will also air on ABC, making this a major cross-company moment for Disney’s sports and entertainment portfolio.
This Super Bowl is part of ESPN’s larger “Year of the Super Bowl” campaign, a 12-month celebration leading up to the big game. ESPN has described the initiative as a major collaboration between ESPN, Disney, and the NFL, with special programming, fan experiences, and storytelling moments planned throughout the year.
The reported advertiser pushback appears to center not only on the high price point, but also on the way Super Bowl ad inventory is typically handled. Returning Super Bowl advertisers often get first pick of commercial spots for the following year. According to the report, Disney reportedly did not want to offer that same perk, which one media buyer described as causing “a bit of disarray.”
Still, Disney appears to be seeing strong early interest. A source reportedly told Variety that Disney has already sold about 50% of its game-time inventory. Disney also shared that emerging categories have driven double-digit units at $9 million each, with advertiser interest coming from seven major categories led by A.I., finance, and pharma.
For Disney, this is more than just another football broadcast. Super Bowl LXI represents a massive sports media moment for ESPN, ABC, and The Walt Disney Company as a whole. With the Super Bowl airing on ESPN for the first time, Disney is clearly treating the event as a full-scale entertainment and advertising showcase.
Even with advertiser resistance, an $8 million 30-second Super Bowl ad spot is still a jaw-dropping number. But with the Super Bowl remaining one of the most-watched live television events in the country, Disney is betting big on the cultural power of the game and on brands wanting to be part of ESPN’s historic first Super Bowl broadcast.
We will be keeping an eye on all the latest Disney, ESPN, Super Bowl LXI, entertainment, and theme park-adjacent news as more details are revealed. Be sure to check back soon for more updates, offers, construction news, entertainment announcements, and everything happening across the Disney and Universal universe.
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