MediaBuyerPlanner: A sharp divide exists in predictions about how upfront spending will look this May, depending on who you ask.
David Joyce, an analyst with Miller Tabak & Co. said that broadcast networks should post a gain of 4.7 percent in upfront spending and Merrill Lynch’s Jessica Reif Cohen last week predicted a similar bump, but media buyers are expecting flat to negative growth, writes Media Life.
One media buyer, when shown Cohen’s prediction, burst out laughing. Others believe that there is not enough demand, particularly in cable, to drive prices up that high. The major issue at hand this year, as it was last year, will be how much delayed viewing is factored into program ratings. Also at issue is whether commercial ratings will be considered.
Joyce predicts that the CW will jump 8.1 percent, CBS will see a bump of 5.3 percent, ABC will see expenditures grow 4.3 percent, NBC will be up 3.9 percent, and Fox will be up 5 percent.
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