Oscar Ads Sell Out

By
( )
published

ABC has sold out its advertising during the upcoming Academy Awards broadcast.

During The Walt Disney Co.'s first quarter earnings call with analysts, CEO Bob Iger said ABC has sold all of the ads the network is allowed under its contract with the TV Academy. He said that there was additional demand from marketers that hadn't yet bought ads on the awards broadcast that ABC might not be able to accommodate.

Last year, 30 second spots cost a reported $1.7 million and ABC was seeking a similar amount this year. The awards air Feb. 26.

The Academy Awards is usually the top-rated entertainment special of the year and is often referred to as the Super Bowl for Women, with some advertisers creating new commercials for the event.

Billy Crystal will return as this year's host. Presenters announced thus far include Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.