The TV upfront market is forecast to see low single- to mid-high single-percentage price increases, according to the two latest estimates. For the top
overall broadcaster, CBS could gain 7% on the cost per thousand viewers (CPMs) versus a year ago, with slightly lower price gains for NBC, Fox, and ABC, according to Brian Wieser, senior research
analyst of Pivotal Research Group.
Wieser says all this would be slightly lower than historical trends over
the last three and a half decades, which were at 8.5%.
In addition, he expects that broadcast networks
collectively will be in the range of similar dollar volume versus a year ago, or slipping as much as two percent versus a year ago -- and says cable networks are likely to see volume increases.
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For last upfront period, estimates were that broadcast networks pulled in $9.2 billion, with
cable networks collectively getting $9.8 billion.
Another estimate from Topeka Capital Markets report
indicates that CBS is expecting a 7% CPM hike; ABC, an increase of 6%; Fox, a 5% rise; NBC, a gain of 3%; and CW, a 1.5% decline.
Topeka expects CBS to improve 2% in volume to $2.55 billion; with ABC up 0.5% to $2.35 billion; NBC down 5% to $2.01 billion; Fox flat at $1.8 billion; and CW
down 2.2% to $490 million.