Turner Sees Upfront Volume, Price Gains

Turner Broadcasting is nearly done with its upfront negotiations, chalking up a sales volume increase in the low- to mid-single digits, according to people familiar with the situation.

Prices on a CPM bases were in the low double digits, slightly below what some of the top broadcasters were registering.

After a slow start, deals are getting done. Buyers initially resisted paying price increases in the double digits, but the market was strong and prices appear to have settled in the 8% to 13% range. Volume across the market is up 2% to 5%, sources say.

Related: Fewer Ads Means Better Content, Better Engagement, Says Turner

For Turner and other networks, more deals are getting done using C7, which includes seven days of DVR playback, instead of C3.

Turner also got a positive reception for its initiative to improve and enhance the ad environment with data products, like Audience Now aimed at targeting specific consumer groups, Native Plus branded content, and reduced ad loads on some networks.

Related: CBS Nearly Done With Upfront Sales

Advertising categories showing spending growth included pharmaceuticals, telcos, consumer packaged goods, quick-serve restaurants and insurance. The auto category had a bit less horsepower.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.