Network Chiefs Say Upfront Going, Going...
Mel Karmazin, president of CBS parent company Viacom, reportedly said at Viacom's annual meeting Wednesday morning that he thinks the upfront will be finished by next Friday. His optimistic prediction matched the beliefs of other networks before the upfront began and now in its midst that could go past the $8 billion mark.
NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker declined to comment on Karmazin's prediction but said that things looked good for his network. No one talked CPM increases either.
"We're very, very, very optimistic and we think by the end of this week and next it will be done," Zucker told reporters during Wednesday afternoon's end-of-season conference call from Los Angeles.
Fox said it was looking at an "extremely profitable" season this year and felt the financial picture would be even better next year. Fox Entertainment Chairman Sandy Grushow said last Thursday evening was the most successful upfront presentation in the network's 16-year history with "incredibly positive" feedback. He said Fox stood to generate significantly more revenue in the upfront than any other in its history with volume increases of upwards of 20%.
Grushow, too, said there's no question about the speed of the broadcast networks' upfronts.
"I'm not sure that it won't be done even sooner than that [two weeks]," Grushow said. "This has moved very, very quickly."
That sentiment was echoed by ABC Chairman Lloyd Braun, though without specifics. "It's going awfully quickly. The demand is incredible and I promised our sales department and [President, ABC Sales and Marketing] Mike Shaw that I wouldn't get into any of it. It's beyond any of our highest expectations," Braun said.
Recent MediaDailyNews Articles
-
Broadcasters Sue AereoKiller In DC May 24, 5:21 p.m.
Confirming their efforts to follow over-the-top TV services with legal filings in any market where they ... -
Cigarette Marketers Slice Mag Spending In 2011 May 24, 4:52 p.m.
The five major cigarette marketers nearly cut in half their collective magazine spending in 2011. The ... -
B2B Revenues Rises, Credits Events, Digital Ads May 24, 4:45 p.m.
Overall, business-to-business media revenues are growing, due to an upward trend in B2B trade shows which, ... -
Court Dismisses Defamation Suit Against WPP's Sorrell May 24, 3:31 p.m.
A New York Court has dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought against WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell.Sorrell ... -
MediaCom Races To Win FIA E Championship's AOR May 24, 12:37 p.m.
A start-up race car circuit, The FIA E Championship, has named WPP’s MediaCom as its agency ... -
Networks Tie For Last Month of the 2012-2013 Season, NBC Gains Ground May 24, 10:56 a.m.
The four major networks were in a virtual tie for the last month of the 2012-2013 ... -
Aereo Is Not Just For Cord-Cutters May 23, 6:34 p.m.
Are cord-cutters most likely to subscribe to Aereo? Not necessarily, according to early returns. CEO Chet ... -
Cars.com Drops Flag On NASCAR.com Sponsorship May 23, 6:25 p.m.
Cars.com has a need for speed. The site has a deal with Turner to sponsor a ... -
Worldwide Pay TV On The Rise, Big Growth In Asia May 23, 4:17 p.m.
North American pay TV subscribers may continue to show little or no growth for the first ... -
Activision Blizzard's Campaign Wins Grand Effie May 23, 4:12 p.m.
Video game marketer Activision Blizzards’ ad campaign “The Vet and the nOOb” for "Call of Duty: ...
Be the first to comment on "Network Chiefs Say Upfront Going, Going..."
Leave a Comment