SQAD Says Audit Confirms Breadth of Ad Price Data

NetCosts includes more than half of broadcast network spending

By Jon Lafayette -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/1/2013 12:36:53 PM

Research company SQAD said that an audit of its NetCosts database of advertising transactions found that it includes 46.8% of all national television ad spending from 2011.

NetCosts uses the data from client invoices to provide those clients and their agencies with detailed information about advertising prices and TV industry advertising cost trends.

Ernst & Young also found that NetCosts data represents 50.4% of broadcast spending, 43.3% of cable spending and 45.9% of syndication spending.

SQAD says that with the data available to it, no other source comes close to NetCosts' accuracy.

"Our subscribers have demonstrated their trust in SQAD to keep their data confidential, enabling us to collect and aggregate a reported $20+ billion in transactions," Neil Klar, president and CEO of SQAD, said in a statement.

NetCosts was launched in 2004 and provides online access enabling participating advertisers and agencies to better understand price relationships in national TV and to formulate negotiating strategies.