• by Wayne Friedman , January 11, 2016

ESPN and other networks seem to be under duress with some subscribers abandoning traditional pay TV packages, but media executives continue to look to increase advertising on top cable networks in 2016.

ESPN gets the most votes by media executives when it comes to raising media spending this year, according to a new study by Beta Research.

The research company did 229 telephone interviews between July and October 2015 -- 157 from agencies and 72 from advertisers. It measured 43 basic cable networks and the four major broadcast networks.

63% of those interviewed planned to increase advertising spending this year for ESPN. Next was ESPN2 at 45%. After this came Discovery Channel (42%); Food Network, HGTV, and TNT each with 41%; TBS, 40%; NBC Sports Network and USA Network, each at 37%; AMC, 36%.

The top broadcast network was NBC, at 48%, followed by ABC with 46%; CBS at 40%; and Fox with 30%.

The study gave ESPN/ABC Sports top marks in a number of other categories: providing creative multiplatform opportunities (75%); increasing viewer engagement through social media (72%); and offering desirable programming for advertising (85%).

For this last category -- a good advertising environment -- ABC got the highest marks among the broadcast networks, at 73%. CBS and NBC each got with 66%. Fox earned a 57% number.