U.S. TV advertising revenue rose 3 percent in the third quarter, even though national spending fell 3.5 percent, MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson calculated in a report published on Tuesday.
In the report, entitled "That Was Unexpected!," he cited the return of sports and the elections as driving ad revenue despite the coronavirus pandemic.
His team estimates that TV station advertising rose 22.9 percent in the latest period, pay TV companies' ad revenue increased 12.8 percent, and cable networks spending climbed 2.3 percent, while broadcast ad revenue fell 13.2 percent.
The decline in national TV ad spending came in better than Nathanson's expectation for a 6.6 percent drop. And overall, TV ad revenue even edged up to $11.01.
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