Disney’s advertising sales staff is gearing up for another bloated time of Monday Night Football in advance of the NFL’s annual routine cut. And while a complete list of the NFL’s primetime lineup wo n’t be available until later this week ( if precedent is anything to go by, the reveal is likely to occur on Thursday night ), Rita Ferro predicts that as many as 10 MNF games will be broadcast on the ABC broadcast network. The president of Disney’s advertising sales unit said in a phone interview with Sportico last week that while the 2024-25 MNF roster wo n’t be as broadcast-heavy as it was a year ago as a hedge against the writers ‘ strike that sat in the middle of the fall TV season, ABC would still be very much in the mix come September. Six or seven MNF matches are anticipated to be broadcast on ABC while three unique appearances are planned. ” It’s not 100 % locked, but we do know that we have a minimum number of games that will be simulcast”, Ferro said. Is the plan going to resemble past year’s schedule, then? I’m not sure yet, but I do n’t think so. But we will certainly include some simulcasts and exclusives, as we have had previously, because that’s a big part of our entire mixture, in terms of how we cover the games”. As a result of last year’s emergency measures, MNF scores increased by a shocking 29 %, with ESPN and ABC netting 17.3 million viewers per game, away from 13.4 million in the previous time. While the NFL’s decision to allow ABC to simulcast 12 additional MNF games was n’t handed down until Sept. 18, or well after 90 % of the in- game inventory had already been sold off in the spring /summer upfront market, Disney’s sales crew still managed to rake in nearly$ 300 million in incremental revenue. Ferro said Disney is looking to build on the steroidal deliveries from the previous year, even though ABC wo n’t be as significant a part of the MNF playbook this fall. Ferro stated,” We have planned for the growth and expansion of the crowd across all of our websites and NFL game.” In addition to the obvious advantages of including the over-the-air system on limited Monday nights—ABC’s signals reach nearly 82.5 million U.S. TV households across its affiliate footprint, an advantage of nearly 12.3 million homes compared to Disney’s cable flagship—MNF advertisers purchase across the platforms enjoy an advantage that transcends simple amplification of their impressions. While ESPN’s base is younger and leans more toward the XY set, games that are broadcast on ABC typically appeal to older, more female-skewing audiences. Disney’s streaming platforms, meanwhile, serve up the company’s most demographically desirable throng of viewers, reaching fans who are often a good 25 years younger than the ABC crowd. Ferro cited the strong appeal of the brand’s ability to target audiences across MNF on both ABC and ESPN as an illustration of how effective linear and streaming packaging are. In addition to an already enviable NFL slate, Ferro’s team can also look forward to selling ABC/ESPN’s new SEC package, which includes the marquee 3: 30 p. m. ET Saturday slot formerly stewarded by CBS as well as what amounts to an additional 15 games per season. Advertisers who invested in the Mouse House’s college pigskin slate received a significant boost after Disney released its second most watched college football season in eight years. A single unit purchased for ABC/ESPN’s college football games, in Ferro’s opinion, was as effective as a six-spot purchase on one of the network rivals. While Ferro will be moving units and acquiring sponsorships this spring, Disney’s long-term partnerships help to end the usual upfront negotiating. There is simply less inventory to sell at the annual bazaar because there are 60 multiyear agreements in place across a variety of sports and leagues. Given that there is a lot of demand and supply, ABC/ESPN gets a leg up on the pricing front with the relative scarcity. Among the brands that have long- term deals in place with Ferro’s team are AT&amp, T, Taco Bell, Home Depot, Capital One and Ram Trucks. That is not to say that everyone else tries to generate revenue by trying to drum up business at the Disney sales team will have to travel to the Hamptons over the summer. For one thing, multiyear deals are what sets the sports market apart from the rest of the field, so NBC, CBS, Fox, et al., are all on similar footing as they look to secure buys across their respective portfolios. As more brands look to align themselves with women’s sports, the opportunity to strike up a lot of deals with first-timers is expected to explode. ” At Disney, our mantra is women’s sports is not a moment, it’s a movement”, Ferro said, noting that the company has been a proud backer of this movement for the better part of the last three decades. ” We’ve had brands and partners who have really pushed us to do more,” said Disney,” the$ 64 billion global media-buying firm that recently announced an initiative to double down on its investment in women’s sports. ” Our volume of women’s sports makes us an obvious place for GroupM to be having big and bold conversations, and we’re so excited that they’re leaning into that narrative”, Ferro said. Given that over one-third of all live sports are accessible via one of the ESPN platforms, Ferro &amp, Co. have the unique ability to sell more units that air within the context of live programming, a requirement for any marketer looking to avert the greatest number of commercial impressions.” Women’s sports is now a huge priority for agencies and advertisers, and it’s been a long time coming. Ferro said that” Live matters in linear television and sports is the best expression of that, to the max.” ” Nothing replaces live sports “.Disney’s 2024- 25 upfront presentation will be held May 14 at New York’s Javits Center.