TV networks that are eager to maintain their foothold in the competitive advertising landscape during a crucial sales season are increasingly relying on sports programming as their primary avenue for revenue generation.

According to four executives familiar with this year’s annual “upfront” market, advertisers are rushing to secure commercial slots during high-profile events such as NFL games, the Super Bowl, and other significant tournaments. This rush is in response to the efforts of TV companies to sell the majority of their advertisements in advance of their upcoming fall programming cycle. However, it’s noteworthy that advertisers seem to be hesitant to invest in any other content categories beyond sports.

“Sports continue to be the primary area where the advertising money is flowing,” states one media-buying executive. “Are the broadcasters aggressively pursuing sports deals? Absolutely. Are they achieving their desired outcomes? Not entirely, but they are still securing more than we initially anticipated. Beyond sports, there is little urgency for advertisers to commit.”

Market insiders suggest that major players like NBCUniversal, Fox, and Disney have successfully sealed significant deals with media buying agencies, while Paramount has also finalized some agreements. However, Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly facing challenges, particularly after losing NBA rights for the upcoming season and heavily depending on cable networks, which are becoming less attractive for advertisers compared to streaming and broadcast TV. An insider claims that Warner’s recent negotiations have been “productive.” Meanwhile, both Netflix and Amazon have retreated from previously unrealistic financial expectations they presented during last year’s negotiations.

These executives also noted that advertisers have already claimed a significant portion of the available inventory for NBC’s broadcast of Super Bowl LX in 2026. Earlier this year, NBC had sought up to $7 million for a 30-second commercial, while also pushing advertisers to allocate more budget toward other segments of their media offerings. One media buyer highlighted that the demand for the Super Bowl is so intense that NBC may need to negotiate with the NFL to increase commercial slots during the event, similar to what Fox has done in the past. In early June, NBC reportedly reached out to all advertisers who expressed interest in reserving time for the Big Game, stressing the necessity to commit immediately or risk losing their slots to a growing list of waiting sponsors. Another buyer indicated that NBC has informed some advertisers that it is “out of sale” for Super Bowl advertising spaces.

Representatives from Fox, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Amazon declined to comment on the pace of their respective upfront sales, while Paramount did not respond to inquiries for comment.

“Networks with strong sports programming are in a better position to close more deals ahead of their competitors,” explains another media-buying executive who is familiar with recent negotiations.

Sports have long been a significant player in the advertising sector, but in the era of streaming, both professional and amateur sports have gained even more appeal. Advertisers continue to seek effective ways to place their messages and promotions in front of large audiences, rather than relying on fragmented viewing experiences typical of streaming platforms. Audiences are still inclined to watch live events like a MLB game or a college football match as they unfold, in contrast to their tendency to catch up on favorite dramas or comedies at their convenience.

The recent surge in interest surrounding sports comes at a time of economic uncertainty, particularly concerning the implications of the Trump administration’s focus on tariffs, which may impact upfront sales. There is a prevailing sentiment among buyers that the overall upfront market may be experiencing a downturn, with advertisers holding back funds for later use in the year. Nevertheless, networks that boast a robust sports portfolio believe they have some favorable momentum, with buyers indicating that sports might absorb whatever budgets are available for upfront sales, leaving less funding for other types of programming.

Certainly, there seems to be a stalemate between buyers and sellers regarding strictly streaming inventory. Central to this discussion is the ongoing pressure from advertisers to “rollback” the rates they are willing to pay for streaming advertisements. Last year, advertisers successfully pushed for double-digit percentage cuts in CPM, a crucial metric that reflects the cost of reaching 1,000 viewers and is fundamental in negotiations between media companies and advertisers. However, in 2025, sales executives are striving to resist such demands.

“What I’ve been hearing from them is, ‘don’t expect the same discounts you received last year,’” remarks one of the buying executives. Nevertheless, this buyer adds, “there is more supply than demand. I do anticipate ‘rollbacks,’ but perhaps not as drastic as last year.” Many TV companies are leveraging their sports offerings to encourage buyers to agree to less stringent terms.

Both sides of the negotiation table report that media companies are witnessing CPM increases in the high-single-digit percentage range for sports advertisements and in the low-single-digit percentage range for commercials linked to traditional linear broadcasts. Some of the increase in linear CPMs is not necessarily indicative of a robust market but is instead a result of networks having less conventional entertainment to offer and smaller projected audiences for their remaining programming. For instance, NBC is expected to allocate two nights of its broadcasting schedule to NBA telecasts starting in 2025.

TV networks prefer the upfront market as it allows them to generate support for their programming well in advance of their launch. However, navigating the advertising marketplace has become increasingly challenging as more viewers shift towards streaming video and alternative methods of accessing their favorite shows, movies, news, and sports events.

Advert commitments for the recent cycle of primetime broadcast TV have dropped by 3.5% in the 2024 upfront market, amounting to $9.34 billion, according to Media Dynamics Inc., while commitments for primetime on cable decreased by 4.8%, totaling $9.065 billion. Conversely, commitments for streaming video platforms surged by an impressive 35.3%, climbing to $11.1 billion from $8.2 billion in the previous market. The amount allocated to streaming video for the latest TV season has surpassed that of primetime broadcast or primetime cable for the first time in the industry’s history.