ESPN Still Won’t Show Crypto-Related Ads, But That Could Change

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If you watched the first World Series game on Fox this week, you couldn’t escape the marketing of cryptocurrencies.

Really if you watch sports in general you can’t escape various crytpo commercials, although it had a bigger impact during game 1 thanks to a first commercial with David Ortiz.

One place you still won’t see direct crypto advertising: ESPN. It is by policy, as it is now, with Terry Lefton reporting to the Sports Business Journal that ESPN will not accept ad purchases from crypto companies until the completion of an “internal review.” “.

SBJ also had this official statement from ESPN:

In an emailed statement, Disney Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales Mike Denby said, “We are actively in discussions with the major advertisers in this category and are thoroughly evaluating these companies and their products and services. . We are looking forward to collaborating with many of these brands in the near future. He did not offer a specific timeline for when Disney would adopt a policy on the matter.

It really is not surprising; Disney tends to be pretty conservative with border areas like crypto. Once ESPN decides to open the floodgates, expect to see it in effect. The proliferation of sports betting has led to a wave of advertisements related to gambling on ESPN networks.

Additionally, as SBJ also notes, there are plenty of indirect crypto ads popping up on ESPN. Direct field / car / clothing sponsorship deals with other leagues and teams mean you’ll always be able to spot various crypto-related messages and brands. There’s no way to avoid it altogether, although ESPN and Disney would prefer to take a more measured approach to the market.

At some point, however, it becomes difficult to refuse money that competitors accept, even if you are Disney. At this point, full ad cuts might just be filled with sports betting and crypto ads.

[Sports Business Journal]

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