Fox Sells Out Commercial Inventory For MLB All-Star Game

Fox Sports has sold out its ad inventory for Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game, with what it calls mid- to high-single-digit rate increases compared to last year’s game. MLB corporate sponsors, including GM, PepsiCo, Taco Bell, Anheuser-Busch, Holiday Inn and Nestle, account for 35% of the inventory, while other advertisers include AOL, Exxon-Mobil, Flomax and Johnson & Johnson. Chevrolet returns for the second straight year as title sponsor of the net’s pre-and post-game coverage. In addition, Fox says it has sold 95% of its ad inventory for its regular-season Saturday telecasts, and postseason ad sales are pacing ahead of last season at this time (Fox Sports). DAILY VARIETY’s John Dempsey reports Fox will take in a record $25M in ad revenue for the All-Star Game, with 30-second spots costing $375,000 each (DAILY VARIETY, 7/7). The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’s Paul Gough notes the $375,000 figure marks a 7% increase from the $350,000 Fox got last year (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 7/7).