Updated 26 July 2013 Page 4 of 21
POLICIES
Ad-ID SYSTEM
Agencies are required to utilize the Ad-ID (formerly ISCI code) numbering system for all commercials. To obtain a prefix (assigned
exclusively to each advertiser), please contact the AdID as follows:
Ad-ID
Phone: (704)501-4410
Email: cs@ad-id.org
11020 David Taylor Drive, Suite 305
Charlotte, NC 28262
COMMERCIAL CLEARANCE
All commercial material(s) (e.g., advertisements, billboards, feature materials, etc.) must be submitted in advance for approval
and are subject to ESPN's Advertising Standards and Guidelines.
All clearance materials should be sent in advance to CommercialClearance@espn.com for network approval.
A minimum of two weeks lead time is required. Script, storyboard, and/or Beta SP or DVD viewing material is required
for review. On occasion, one or more elements may be required for approval (e.g. script and rough-cut).
Submission of a commercial shall constitute the agency/client warranty to ESPN that all elements have been cleared for air
(and Internet distribution, if via espn.com and/or WatchESPN, Mobile ESPN or other internet or broadband properties) with
respect to intellectual property rights: this includes, but not limited to, rights of privacy and master, mechanical, performance
and synchronization rights for music.
COMMERCIAL DELIVERY SPECIFICATIONS FOR TELECAST
Any content which does not meet these specifications may be refused for air or have the levels altered to meet these
specifications at ESPN’s discretion.
ESPN reserves the right to refuse to broadcast or otherwise utilize television recordings that, in its opinion, are technically
unsatisfactory.
On-Air materials must be in house (Bristol, CT) no later than five (5) business days prior to the airdate.
On-Air materials for ABC telecasts must be sent to ABC (New York, NY) directly.
ESPN accepts Closed Captioned commercial content. All Infomercials MUST be Closed Captioned.
ESPN does NOT accept commercial content with embedded or encoded triggers.
ESPN will utilize one commercial spot for a buy across all Standard Definition networks. There is no need to submit the same
commercial tape for each of these networks.
ESPN will NOT guarantee replacement of a commercial if it is assigned the same Ad-ID as the original version. Unique codes
must be created for all separate material submitted for telecast.
COMMERCIAL PURGE POLICY
Commercial material will be held for sixty days from the last airdate, after which time it will be removed from the system. The
same commercial purge policy applies to material that does not air within sixty days of receipt.
ESPN cannot hold indefinitely, duplicate or return commercial material submitted for telecast.
If commercial material may not air after a specific date, it is the agency or advertiser’s responsibility to notify ESPN and
request that such material be purged from the system effective as of that date.
If commercial material should not air and the agency or advertiser has not provided purge notification to ESPN, any charges
that ESPN may incur as a result will be passed on to the agency or advertiser.
WatchESPN Commercial Delivery
If EDI has not been sent to agency, the following process applies:
o If creative is already in house in Bristol, the ISCI code information needs to be sent to Kendra Simon and Account
Manager.
Commercials will be digitized and sent from Bristol to Seattle. Two day lead time required.