FOOTBALL IS BACK
A year ago, marketers and broadcasters were wary about whether the NFL season could—or should—take place during the pandemic, but there has been no such trepidation as the 2021 season kicked off last weekend. Demand for football ad inventory is higher than ever, especially as entertainment ratings and ad impressions plummet elsewhere in the TV landscape. Now, “we are the sole purveyors of scale,” said Seth Winter, evp of sports sales at Fox Sports. That’s leading to what ad sales execs are calling the busiest NFL marketplace in years—one that is expected to easily surpass the $3.78 billion in ad revenue generated last season, according to Standard Media Index. Two emerging categories are having a big impact on ad sales this season: sports betting and cryptocurrency. Meanwhile, advertisers’ NFL regular season frenzy…