ESPN Has $400 Million in College Football Playoff Ads at Risk From Covid

The spike in Covid-19 cases imperils as much as $400 million in college football playoff advertising for Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN sports network because of the growing risk games may be canceled, Bloomberg Intelligence estimated in a note Tuesday.

Click here to read the story at bloomberg.com.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are broadcast rights?
2. Why do companies like ESPN invest in the broadcast rights to live sports events?
3. What are ratings?
4. Why are ratings important to ESPN?
5. Why are ratings important to the NCAA?
6. Why are ratings important to advertisers?
7. How might a canceled college football bowl game impact ESPN from an advertising perspective?