According to Standard Media Index (see related story), the entire media market showed no growth -- flat versus February a year ago. Overall areas of gains include digital media, up 3.7%, with TV inching up 0.4% -- while broadcast was down 0.6% and cable TV was 1.4% higher.
Looking at specific media categories, digital video rose 26.6% on pure-play digital platforms, with pure-play social media also spiking, 9.9%. Ad network/ad exchange business was up 5.5%.
Digital media declines were registered in pure-play search, 1.7%; pure-play content, 1.9%; TV network/digital, 2.9%; pure-play digital radio, 6.4%; mobile ad network/ad exchange, 8.0%. Standard Media Index predicts “2017 is shaping up to be digital’s toughest year yet.”
TV news platforms continued to see strong results, now four months post-election -- up 11.7% across cable and broadcast networks. Cable TV news was up 7% overall and in prime-time had a 31% gain.
CNN was 12% higher; Fox News Channel, 18.7%; and MSNBC 22.5%. Average 30-second unit costs grew 73.5% for MSNBC; 48.4% for Fox ; and 24.3% for CNN. Fox’s “The O’Reilly Factor” and “Hannity” command the highest advertising 30-second unit cost $14,000 and $12,500 a spot, respectively.
CBS’ “Grammy Awards” price climbed 13% in February versus the same month a year ago -- to $890,725. ABC’s “Academy Awards” inched up 2% to $1.89 million.
AMC’s “The Walking Dead” was the highest regularly scheduled TV series -- broadcast or cable -- $332,300 for a 30-second ad.
Looking across other media, all showed declines: Magazines, 12%; newspapers, 15%; radio, 31.3%; and out-of-home, 10.6%.