Commercial inventory for the Stanley Cup Final is nearly sold out, according to Disney Ad Sales.
Disney said it has signed up 10 sponsors as the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche battle for the National Hockey League’s championship. There will also be 59 other advertisers in 35 categories appearing during the telecasts.
The sponsors include Apple, Crypto.com, Discovery, GEICO, Goodyear, Honda, Lexus, SAP, Subway and Verizon.
Disney said demand for advertising time exceeded expectations. This is Disney’s first year covering the NHL under its new contract with the league. The contract calls for Disney to have the final in even-numbered years. Warner Bros. Discovery’s Turner Sports gets the final round in odd-numbered years.
“We are incredibly proud of the sponsorship success we’ve seen in the NHL’s first season back home on Disney,” said Jim Minnich, senior VP, Disney Advertising Revenue Yield Management. “Brands flocked to our unique offerings resulting in strong NHL demand throughout the entire season.”
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The games will be presented by GEICO, with Lexus sponsoring the first intermission and Discovery sponsoring the second intermission. If a game goes into overtime, Subway will sponsor the break after regulation time.
Before each game, Crypto.com will sponsor starting lineups, while Honda highlights the starting goalies. SAP will provide statistical insight from its Coaching Insights App. Goodyear will provide aerial coverage.
During the final, Apple will showcase its Siri driver integrations.
The games will appear on ABC and on ESPN streaming platforms.
The Eastern Conference Final on ESPN, with two-time Stanley Cup winners Tampa Bay defeating the New York Rangers in six games, averaged 2.4 million viewers, up 82% from 2021, when the games were on NBCU outlets including NBC, NBCSN and Peacock. ■
