Amazon’s Prime Video has "sold out all the commercial inventory attached to its new 'Black Friday' game," the "first event the NFL has earmarked for the day after Thanksgiving," according to Brian Steinberg of VARIETY. Amazon Head of NFL Ads Danielle Carney said that the company has "also sold out of ad inventory in the 'Thursday Night Football' games slated for November 16 and November 30," in part because the company has "tried to sell broader ad packages that connect an ad message across a broader swath of content." Steinberg noted Amazon will "open the 'Black Friday' game to anyone who wants to watch it, not just the company’s Prime members." Carney noted that some ads "may carry interactive banners at the bottom of the screen or a QR code that may take viewers to shopping opportunities." Amazon is also "encouraging sponsors to launch new campaigns and new creative concepts to get viewers excited about making purchases." Carney "declined to comment on the price" Amazon has been seeking for commercials in the Black Friday game. Among the advertisers that have lined up to support the game are Google and Carnival Cruises, both of which "will serve as presenting sponsors." Carney noted that Hasbro, Bose and Columbia Sportswear "will also advertise." The exec said that viewers are "likely to see commercials from marketers who might not normally sign up for an NFL game," and "will see more consumer-products companies than might typically show up in a football event" (VARIETY, 11/7).
