Fox Sports execs said that they expect MLB regular season in-game commercial time "to be sold out on both" FS1 and the Fox broadcast channel this season, according to John Consoli of BROADCASTING & CABLE. Fox Sports Media Group Exec VP/Sales Neil Mulcahy said, "I’m not trying to panic any advertisers but inventory is very tight. We will still be able to sell inventory that can run during pitching changes or in extra-inning games, but the rest of the ad time should be all sold. We expect to be in an oversold situation." He said that part of the reason is "strong advertiser demand, and the other is that Fox is only televising games on half the number of Saturdays this season with FS1 taking the other half." Mulcahy said that Fox has been "selling packages that include both" Fox and FS1 MLB telecasts for the '14 season "since the upfront last summer." Fox Sports VP/Ad Sales Mike Falco said that official MLB sponsors "make up about 40% of the commercial time sold." Mulcahy said that about six to eight new advertisers "will be on board, including Target." MLB sponsors returning include GM, A-B, Pepsi, Taco Bell, Bank of America, Gatorade, T-Mobile and P&G. Mulcahy said MLB on Saturday afternoons and nights gives marketers "a safe, comfortable, family environment." Sources said that Fox is "getting high-single-digit increases" on its sales rate. Falco said that with Fox or FS1, and "sometimes both, televising games every Saturday throughout the entire season, it also makes packages attractive for advertisers who ... might want to reach consumers with a continuous message from April till November" (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 3/11).
FS DETROIT SEES SPIKE: In Detroit, Bill Shea cited SNL Kagan data as showing that FS Detroit "is forecasted to see its overall revenue grow" to nearly $168M in '14 from last year's $154.2M. The data shows that the net's cash flow is expected "to improve" to $43.7M in '14 from $39.4M in '13. SNL Kagan estimates that the net in '14 "will see" $18.1M in net advertising revenue, up from $16.7M last year and $15.2M in '12. Among new advertisers this year "are Rent-A-Center and Panera Bread," both of which are national accounts (CRAINSDETROIT.com, 3/9).
