MediaBuyerPlanner: NBC U’s chief Jeff Zucker has said that he believes the network will take in $4 billion during the upfront, writes the New York Post.
That would be, according to Zucker, “a little bit more” than last year’s upfront sales.
NBC’s first major deal of this year’s upfront, a nearly $1 billion deal with Group M, was made based on a combination of commercial ratings and live-plus-three-day viewing. Zucker says subsequent deals will likely be made using the same metrics, and predicts that all of the networks’ primetime deals will be made based on that currency, as well.
However, Aaron Cohen, executive vp-director of broadcast at Horizon Media – the largest independent media agency and the one that manages the Geico account – has said that the agency will deal with live-only ratings for one more year. Cohen says that virtually all the networks he has spoken with, including broadcast, cable and syndication, have agreed to move forward on a live-only basis.
Related stories:
- Horizon Won’t Use Commercial Ratings, DVR Playback in Upfront Deals
- NBC, Group M Ink $1 Billion Upfront Deal
- Networks May Ask for Double-Digit Increases in Upfront
- NBC Invites Sales to Partake of Program Development Feast
- Silverman Brings Reveille Exec to NBC, Hopes for ‘Infectious’ Passion
- Viacom Says ‘Not Yet’ to Commercial Ratings
- Networks Gain a Tad with Live-Plus-3-Day/Commercial-Minute Combo
- TV Upfront Slow to Start
- MBP Overview: The Television Upfront
- NBC Upfront Closed, with $1.9 Billion Take
