Networks Write $9.23B in Upfront Biz, Up 1.2%

The five broadcast networks (including the CW) dodged a bullet and managed to pull in $9.23 billion in this year’s upfront, 1.2 percent higher than last year’s $9.12 billion.

Just a month ago, analysts were predicting the upfront could be down as much as 14 percent from last year, the Los Angeles Times points out.
The just-finished television season was the weakest in memory. It had no break-out hits to bolster it, and then the writers strike forced the nets to air reruns for months. Program development was interrupted, which meant that late-season shows, in many cases, could not air new episodes even after the strike ended.

Top network brass are pointing to the relatively strong upfront as proof that television is still a top medium for advertisers and viewers.

“People have a lot of choices,” Mike Shaw, ABC president of sales and marketing, is quoted as saying. “When you see this validation for television, and of network television and ABC in particular, it is a pretty strong affirmation of what we were bringing to market.”

The total network take excluding the CW is $8.85 billion, up 3.5 percent from last year’s $8.55 billion, according to Mediaweek.

ABC’s take will be about $2.5 billion in prime time, including sports - up $100 million from last year. The network sold between 77 percent and 82 percent of its prime time inventory, or about 3 percent more than last year, and averaged 9 percent CPM increases.

CBS will also pull about $2.5 billion in prime time, not including telecasts of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships. That’s up about $50 million from last year, on sales of between 80 percent and 85 percent of its inventory (up a few percentage points over last year). The network averaged 8 percent CPM increases.

NBC’s take - on 5 percent CPM increases - will be about $1.9 billion, up from $1.8 billion last year, having sold about 80 percent of its inventory or 4 percent more than last year.

Fox will bring in about $1.95 billion, up $50 million over last year, on CPM increases of 9 percent.

The CW, averaging 8 percent CPMs, will take in about $380 million in prime time dollars, down from $570 million last year, primarily because it gave up programming on five hours of Sunday night, having sold the rights to Media Rights Capital.