Fox Secures New Ad Revenue from Sports, News, and Streaming in Latest Upfront Deal

Fox Corp. Thrives in Upfront Market Despite Trump Tariffs

Despite initial concerns that Trump's tariffs might negatively impact the annual "upfront" advertising market for television, it seems these fears were exaggerated—especially for media companies with a strong sports portfolio. Fox Corp. has managed to secure new ad dollars for its sports schedule, Tubi streaming service, and Fox News operations during the current upfront period, according to the company. The majority of negotiations have already been finalized.

The upfront market is an important time for U.S. media companies as they seek to secure the bulk of the ad dollars that Madison Avenue will allocate for their upcoming programming cycles. Jeff Collins, president of advertising sales, marketing, and brand partnerships for Fox Corp., stated in a prepared statement that the company’s industry-leading Sports, News, and Entertainment content delivered double-digit revenue growth in the Upfront for the second consecutive year. He added that unprecedented audience growth across the Fox portfolio has led to better outcomes for their trusted client partners.

Fox saw most of its growth from consumer-products giants, pharmaceutical marketers, and financial-services firms. The volume of dollars invested in sports programming increased by a double-digit percentage, exceeding $2 billion overall. This figure does not include the World Cup, which did not take place last year, but for which Fox has U.S. rights in 2026. Advertisers also increased their commitments to Tubi by 35%, according to people familiar with the negotiations.

Programming from Fox News Media also saw a significant increase in ad dollars, with a double-digit percentage rise, as advertisers followed the larger audiences tuning into the Fox News Channel. Additionally, the number of traditional advertisers on Fox News' roster increased, according to these sources.

Like NBCUniversal, which recently announced strong upfront results, Fox benefited from a broad sports portfolio that includes one of the most-watched Sunday NFL broadcasts, as well as next year’s World Cup and post-season Major League Baseball games. Sports programming has played a crucial role in the ad-sales game this year. It remains the only format that consistently generates large, simultaneous viewing audiences that both advertisers and distributors desire.

TV networks rely on the upfront market to build support for their programs before they debut. However, the advertising landscape has become more challenging in recent years as more consumers shift toward streaming video and other platforms for accessing their favorite shows, movies, news, and sports events.

According to Media Dynamics Inc., ad commitments for the most recent cycle of primetime broadcast TV fell by 3.5% in 2024’s upfront market, reaching $9.34 billion. Meanwhile, commitments for primetime cable dropped by 4.8%, totaling $9.065 billion. In contrast, ad commitments to streaming video hubs rose significantly by 35.3%, reaching $11.1 billion from $8.2 billion in the previous market. This marked the first time that the amount committed to streaming video exceeded that devoted to primetime broadcast or primetime cable.

Key Trends in the Advertising Landscape

• Sports Programming: Continued to be a major driver of ad revenue, with double-digit growth in investments.
• Streaming Services: Saw a substantial increase in ad commitments, surpassing traditional broadcast and cable.
• Fox Corp. Performance: Demonstrated strong growth in ad revenue, particularly in sports, news, and streaming segments.
• Shift in Consumer Behavior: More viewers are moving towards streaming platforms, affecting traditional TV ad markets.

As the media landscape continues to evolve, companies like Fox Corp. are adapting by leveraging their strengths in sports and digital platforms to maintain and grow their ad revenue. The upfront market remains a critical period for securing future ad deals, and despite challenges, certain sectors continue to thrive.