Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorTV networks are claiming victory in this year’s upfront ad-sales market, but their executives understand they may be snatching it from the jaws of defeat.CBS, NBC, Fox, Univision and some of their brethren are cheering about the upfront, when U.S.
TV networks try to sell the bulk of their ad inventory in advance of the next cycle of programming. They have some reason to do so.
By many accounts, the volume of advertising commitments they won is up over last year. Disney, for example, predicted Monday that it would take in around $9 billion in advertising for the year ahead (upfront numbers are never guaranteed, of course, as advertisers can cancel parts of their order depending on circumstances).
At the same time, the networks drove that ad cash to the bank by agreeing to smaller rate hikes — usually a flashing sign they lack some leverage in the market.
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