Disney and ESPN have pared back the $10 million 30-second baseline and the matching $10 million inventory buy they initially required from Super Bowl LXI advertisers. The original mandate forced advertisers to pay $10 million for a 30-second spot plus purchase an equal $10 million in Disney cross-platform inventory; Disney has reduced that combined commitment and loosened the cross-platform buy obligation. The change lowers the barrier for mid-size advertisers to buy Super Bowl time and signals softer high-end ad demand, which could shift who runs commercials and how brands allocate creative and media budgets for the game.
