More than most companies at the upfronts, Disney linked arms with the NFL on Tuesday, issuing multiple announcements and literally cozying up to the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell.
Monday Night Football announcer Joe Buck joined Goodell onstage and gave him an exaggerated hug, simulating the way college players embrace the commissioner after their name is called at the NFL Draft. “We can all dream,” Buck said. “We can all dream,” Goodell replied.
The lovefest was not a total surprise given the league and the media giant closed a deal earlier this year giving ESPN control of NFL Network and other media assets and giving the league a 10% stake in ESPN.
By arrangement with the league, upfront presenters with NFL rights are allowed to release nuggets of news about matchups ahead of the league’s overall schedule reveal, which is slated for Thursday. Disney noted two games on next season’s docket. The season’s first Monday Night Football contest will be September 14 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos, and a Week 9 tilt is set for November 9 in Madrid, Spain, featuring the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals.
Continuing to thump the tub for next February’s Super Bowl LXI, which will be ABC’s first in 20 years (and also air on ESPN and other platforms), Disney put the spotlight on studio talent.
After MNF studio analyst Jason Kelce heard the plan was to recruit the “greatest Super Bowl team ever,” he hastily left the stage, returning a minute later and introducing a stage full of MVPs from the big game, all of whom will factor into the company’s coverage. The roster included Steve Young, Emmett Smith, Nick Foles and many more. Eli and Peyton Manning, who are already in business with ESPN and Disney on multiple fronts, also made an appearance to plug coverage of the game.
Disney Advertising President Rita Ferro preceded the Goodell segment, emphasizing the “fandom” aspect of NFL and college football broadcasts and harking back to CEO Josh D’Amaro’s comments at the top of the event.
“With the addition of the NFL Network and the Super Bowl, we expect to see a 55% increase in NFL impressions year over year,” she said. “And when you combine NFL and college football, Disney will deliver 40% of the football impressions this upcoming season. That puts us in a position that no one else can match.”
