• by Wayne Friedman , April 12, 2011

For the first time in many years, broadcast networks' overall ad volume during the upcoming upfront market will grow strongly to over $10 billion, according to one media analyst -- as well as averaging double-digit percent gains.

In one of the strongest TV broadcast estimates to date, for next season, Miller Tabak media analyst David Joyce said advertising revenue will pile on 14.7% in new advertising dollars to a record $10.3 billion.

In addition, Joyce says average price hikes -- the CPM viewers -- on the broadcast networks were at 8% a year ago, whereas this year will see an average price hike of 11.3%.

For broadcast networks, "this upfront season could mark the first time that upfront pricing reaches the double digits," he stated. He adds that the broadcast networks will sell a little more this year during the upfront period -- an average of 79% of their respective inventory supplies.

Joyce said cable networks will also see a strong uptick -- up 11.5% to around $9 billion, which would also be a record. Given cable networks' wider array of programming, he says, price gains will have a broader price growth range, anywhere from 8% to 12% depending on ratings and genre.

Cable networks will sell, on average, 62.5% of their inventory supplies in the upfront, according to Joyce.

A day before, a report from ZenithOptimedia also estimated the broadcast networks -- as well as the cable TV networks -- will grow by double-digit CPM viewer price increases. But it noted that broadcast TV upfront coffers would only grow some 3% versus a year ago; cable networks will add some 10% in volume.

Looking at the broadcasters on a network-by-network basis, Joyce says CBS looks to add the most: 12.5% to $3 billion from $2.6 billion the year before. Fox will be next, with a 11.5% rise to $2.28 billion from $1.98 billion; ABC will climb 11% to $2.75 billion from $2.4 billion; and NBC will bring in 10% more at $1.83 billion from $1.6 billion.

Joyce also projected a 12.8% gain in the kids' upfront to $1.1 billion this year.