Black Friday press coverage comes from pitching deal editors four to six weeks before the sale, with the offer, dates and code in the first email. Black Friday 2026 falls on November 27 and Cyber Monday on November 30. Adobe Analytics recorded $11.8 billion in U.S. online spending on Black Friday 2025 and $14.25 billion on Cyber Monday, so deal roundups reach a large audience. A pitch sent on October 30 sits at the late end of that window.
Last updated: October 30, 2026. Timing advice on this page comes from agencies and publishers, and sales figures come from Adobe Analytics.
Summary
- Pitch deal editors at least four to six weeks before Black Friday, which for 2026 is October 16 to October 30.
- Adobe measured $44.2 billion in U.S. online spending across the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday 2025.
- A deal pitch needs the offer, dates, code and a live buy link in the first email.
- Journalists keep publishing deal roundups after Cyber Monday, so a deal that runs longer earns longer coverage.
When should a brand pitch Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals?
A brand should pitch Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals at least four to six weeks before the sale, which for 2026 means between October 16 and October 30. The Max Borges Agency recommends reaching out to media at least four to six weeks ahead in its deal roundup advice, and reported that its average client earned 23 placements for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in 2021. That figure is the agency's own client data, not an industry benchmark.
The sales calendar has also moved earlier. Digiday has reported that retailers launch shopping events in October, more than a month before Black Friday. Fortune reported in December 2025 that promotions around Black Friday and Cyber Monday now run for nearly a month, so editors start assembling deal coverage early.
| Date | Event |
|---|
| October 16 to October 30, 2026 | Four to six weeks before Black Friday: the recommended pitch window |
| October 20, 2026 | Amazon's deadline for sellers to submit Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals |
| November 26, 2026 | Thanksgiving Day |
| November 27, 2026 | Black Friday |
| November 30, 2026 | Cyber Monday |
PPC Land reported on October 20, 2026, citing a post on Amazon's Seller News, that the submission window for Amazon seller deals closed that day. A seller who missed it should check Seller Central for what remains open.
How much do shoppers spend online on Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
U.S. shoppers spent $11.8 billion online on Black Friday 2025 and $14.25 billion on Cyber Monday 2025, according to Adobe Analytics. The table shows the five-day Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday period that Adobe calls Cyber Week.
| Day in 2025 | U.S. online spending | Change from 2024 |
|---|
| Thanksgiving Day | $6.4 billion | Up 5.3% |
| Black Friday | $11.8 billion | Up 9.1% |
| Cyber Monday | $14.25 billion | Up 7.1% |
| Cyber Week, five days | $44.2 billion | Up 7.7% |
Adobe reported in its December 2, 2025 release that Black Friday growth outpaced Cyber Monday growth for the second year in a row, as shoppers took early deals. For a brand, that means deal coverage that publishes before Black Friday reaches shoppers while they are still deciding where to buy.
What should a Black Friday deal pitch include?
A Black Friday deal pitch should state the offer, the dates, the code and the buy link in the first email. PressHook's guide to pitching sales advises giving editors every necessary detail clearly and concisely in the opening message, because their inboxes fill with holiday promotions.
Everything-PR's checklist, drawn from that guidance, covers seven items:
- The discount and exactly which products it covers
- The start and end dates, with a time zone
- Whether the deal is exclusive to the outlet's readers or open to everyone
- A code, if one is needed
- A link to the live deal page, not the homepage
- Stock levels, so an editor does not feature a product that sells out
- One contact who can confirm details the same day
PressHook also recommends checking which reporters and editors covered Black Friday in earlier years and what details their coverage included. An editor who ran price tables last year will want the original price and the sale price side by side. A press release can carry the same facts: see how to write a press release and how to choose a distribution service.
How do you keep Black Friday coverage going after Cyber Monday?
Black Friday coverage continues past Cyber Monday because journalists keep publishing roundups of deals that are still live. Digital Loft's Black Friday PR advice notes that headlines about deals still available appear in the run-up to Christmas.
The same guidance says Black Friday is no longer a one-day event and now covers four days: Friday, the weekend and Cyber Monday. Digital Loft suggests asking clients to extend deals so they do not end at midnight on Friday. A deal that runs through the weekend and into the following week gives editors more to write about.
How do you track sales from Black Friday coverage?
Sales from Black Friday coverage are tracked with a link or code that is unique to each outlet. No public benchmark shows how many sales one placement produces, so the brand's own data is the only evidence.
- Create a separate campaign link for every editor who receives the pitch.
- Create a separate code for each outlet, if the deal allows codes.
- Record the date and time each piece publishes.
- Compare orders on each day of the sale with the same days last year.
- Report orders and revenue per outlet, not only total coverage.
EPR's guide to measuring PR ROI explains baselines, and the PR plan template can hold the pitch calendar. Shoppers also ask AI tools where to buy. Salesforce estimated that AI assistants and agents contributed $14.2 billion of the $79 billion spent online worldwide on Black Friday 2025, as KSAT reported. EPR's analysis that earned media supplies most AI citations explains why third-party deal coverage can matter beyond the sale weekend.
