LATEST DEVELOPMENT
March Madness ad inventory sells out "earlier than historically" as NIL deals transform college athletes into marketable creators, reshaping the advertising landscape around NCAA tournaments.
INDUSTRY TALK
"This marketplace picked up earlier than it has historically. It's got a huge head start, even before you get to the upfront."
BY THE NUMBERS
Research highlights include:
784 social media sponsorships with college basketball athletes in 2024
63% of March Madness athlete sponsorships featured women
3.2M sponsored engagements for male athletes
1.2M sponsored engagements for female athletes
50% of inventory sold in advance this year
MARKET DRIVERS
Factors accelerating sales:
Growth of athlete NIL deals creating new celebrities
Increased female athlete visibility (led by Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark)
Rising premium for live event programming
Timing alignment with upfront buying season
Streaming platform competition for live content
BROADER TRENDS
Live event advertising surge includes:
$8M per Super Bowl LIX spot
$2M per Oscars ad (all sold out)
Women's Final Four inventory completely sold
Netflix success with one-off live events
Democratized celebrity access through NIL
THE BOTTOM LINE
The emergence of college athletes as legitimate social media creators through NIL deals has expanded audience demographics and advertiser interest, contributing to unprecedented demand for March Madness inventory across both men's and women's tournaments.