Both the SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Langdon Brockinton
and AD AGE's Friedman & Ross report that Walt Disney is
close to combining its ABC Sports and ESPN ad sales units.
Friedman & Ross report that the "short list of names of
candidates believed in the running" to head the effort
include CBS TV Network Sales President Joe Abruzzese,
McCann-Erickson Exec VP/Broadcast & Programming Bill Cella,
ABC Exec VP/NFL Sales & General Sales Manager Larry Fried,
ESPN Senior VP/Ad Sales Jeffrey Mahl and Raycom Sports
President & CEO Ray Warren (AD AGE, 6/21 issue). The
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Langdon Brockinton writes, "One
rumor has it that the ABC sports sales unit may relocate to
ESPN's sales headquarters" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/21).
NFL AD SALES ABOUT 20% SOLD: Friedman & Ross also
report that ABC is "looking for 16% price gains" for ad
spots during "MNF," despite lower ratings during the '98-99
NFL season. In addition, about 20% of "national TV NFL
inventory already has been sold," as ESPN was pricing a 30-
second spot for its Sunday night games between $100,000-
110,000, while CBS "was asking" $120,000-150,000, and Fox
"was grabbing" $150,000-170,000 (AD AGE, 6/21 issue).
