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Archives » Media Pricing

Moonves Predicts Double-digit Increases at Upfronts

Published on March 09, 2010

CBS chief Les Moonves told investors at the Credit Suisse conference in Florida yesterday that he has “never seen the scatter market as strong as it is right now.” Scatter prices are up 30% over last year’s upfront prices at CBS, he said, adding that Fox and NBC are commanding similar price increases.

Double-digit Increases at Upfront

With demand so strong, the network is allowing its sales...
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L.A. Times Runs Cover Wrap for ‘Alice in Wonderland’

Published on March 07, 2010

The Los Angeles Times has sold a cover wrap for Disney’s new Johnny Depp film, Alice in Wonderland. Readers wanting to read the front page news had to flip to a second page to get the headlines.

The wrap, which ran Friday, featured the face of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter on what appeared to be the front page of the newspaper but which was actually a fake - a move which some consider an...
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Academy Award Inventory Sold Out, at $1.5M a Pop

Published on March 03, 2010

ABC is sold out of ad spots for the Academy Awards, despite some predictions that the network would have trouble selling the show due to the economic mood of the country and the fact that last year’s awards had a relatively low tune-in.

Ad sales for the show are further proof that marketers are continuing to want to be associated with big-event, live TV programs like the Golden Glob Awards, the...
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CBS to Experiment with 99 Cent Prices for Some Shows on iTunes

Published on February 21, 2010

CBS has said that it has agreed to experiment with Apple in reducing the price of some of its shows on iTunes, cutting prices from $1.99 for most shows to 99 cents for some.

Les Moonves, chief executive of CBS Corp., said on a conference call with analysts last week that certain shows would sell for 99 cents, but he did not yet know which those will be. Those in the industry doubt the...
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NBCU Expects to Lose $250M on Olympics; Ratings May Be Depressed

Published on February 10, 2010

NBCU is expecting to lose at least $250 million on its coverage of the Vancouver Games due to slow ad sales and other factors.

NBCU paid big for rights fees for the Winter Olympics, in part because of the locale of the Games, which meant more than half of the U.S. will be able to watch the events live.

NBCU’s Skyrocketed Bid Was ‘Faulty’

NBCU paid big for rights fees for the Winter Olympics,...
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News Corp. Revenue Jumps 10%, Ad Rates Up, Conan a Maybe

Published on February 02, 2010

News Corp. returned to a profit and reported a revenue gain of 10%, to $8.7 billion, for its fiscal second quarter ended Dec. 31.

Executives said they were pleased with how the TV market has rebounded. Improved results across most units, including broadcast and cable, helped boost the numbers. Cable was the company’s most profitable division, with operating income jumping 35% to $604 million....
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CBS Sells Last Super Bowl Spot; Focus on the Family Ad Stays in Spotlight

Published on February 01, 2010

CBS is sold out of all Super Bowl spots, and the network says its priciest :30 spots exceeded $3 million, higher than the highest rates from last year.

NBC sold a record $206 million in ads last year and 95.4 million viewers watched the game. Jo Ann Ross, head of ad sales at CBS, told Bloomberg that she expects a record-setting 100 million viewers to watch this year’s game.

She declined to...
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Visa Brands Stadium Trays at Super Bowl

Published on January 26, 2010

Visa has extended its NFL sponsorship by putting its logo on the stadium trays distributed at concessions stands in Sun Life Stadium during the Super Bowl on Feb. 7.

The tray features the Visa logo, and holds four drinks as well as food.

Visa’s NFL sponsorship also includes the opportunity to offer Super Bowl cardholder packages; the company will also sponsor on-site events, according to...
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Supreme Court Ruling to Boost Political Spending Upwards of $500MM

Published on January 24, 2010

A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on election financing which loosens restrictions on corporate and nonprofit campaign spending could boost political spending by as much as an addition $250 million to $500 million dollars, on top of the $3.5 billion expected to be spent on political advertising this year, according to Wells Fargo media analyst Marci Ryvicker.

The decision lifts a ban that...
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NBCU Revenue Slides 4% in Q4; Leno Ad Shuffle Not Seriously Harmful

Published on January 24, 2010

NBCU profits slipped 30% in the fourth quarter of 2009, while revenue fell 4%, to $4.3 billion.

The plunge can be attributed in part to Universal Pictures, which saw few theatrical hits and a reduced number of DVD sales, according to MediaPost. Higher TV rights fees for NFL also contributed to the declines.

NBCU’s TV business fared better. Revenue was down 2% to $1.6 billion, while revenue at...
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