Much of Fox' ad inventory for the FIFA World Cup in Russia is "already spoken for, as the 48 matches that comprise the initial Group Stage of the tournament are sold out, while only a handful of spots in the eight Knockout Round matches remain up for grabs," according to Anthony Crupi of AD AGE. The World Cup has been a "must-buy for usual suspects" like official FIFA partners A-B InBev, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Adidas. Financial services, tech and movie money is "also pouring in." Additionally, media buyers said that a "good deal of studio investment that originally had been earmarked for an extended NBA Finals run was diverted" to the World Cup. ESPN/ABC pulled in $187M in ad sales for the '14 World Cup in Brazil due to a schedule that "placed 10 matches on ABC," while Fox will "air no fewer than 38 matches on its flagship broadcast net." Network TV's more expansive reach allows Fox Sports Senior VP/Ad Sales Mike Petruzzi and his team to "command a higher rate for inventory in the matches that will air on Fox." Meanwhile, Petruzzi said that while Microsoft, a "key spender" in '14, "decided to sit out this World Cup, Amazon and Google 'have come up big in supporting roles.'" Petruzzi also said first-time World Cup advertiser Slack, repping the tech category, has "a significant buy in place." Financial services brands buying time in Fox' coverage of the World Cup "include E-Trade, Quicken Loans, SoFi and Wells Fargo." Among the studio partnerships Fox has lined up are a "Group Stage deal with Universal Pictures' 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' and an upcoming execution with Amazon Studios' espionage thriller 'Jack Ryan.'" Verizon has "signed on to sponsor the halftime show," while Volkswagen is "backing the postgame coverage" (ADAGE.com, 6/13).
