• by Wayne Friedman , November 28, 2018

In a little over two months of the TV season, TV networks have aired on-air program promotions amounting to 10% less in media value of $272.3 million versus a year ago -- but they have gained in impressions, according to iSpot.tv.

From mid-September through November 27, there have been 210.1 billion TV impressions from all broadcast and cable TV network promotions -- up 14% from 184.7 billion traditional TV impressions last year. Impressions defined by iSpot.tv include national linear and time-shifted viewing and video-on-demand, local, and OTT platforms.

CBS has grabbed about 10% of those impressions, with Fox at 7.8%, NBC at 7.7%, ABC at 7.3% and ESPN at 3.4%.

When looking at the media value for those on-air promos, Fox comes in at $38.7 million, largely due to its airing of “Thursday Night Football.” The NFL Network is next -- also because of its on-air promotions with the airing of “TNF” (simulcast with Fox) -- at $29.5 million, followed by ABC at $22.7 million; NBC with $17.6 million; Nickelodeon at $14.3 million; CBS with $12.7 million; and TBS at $10.3 million.

Fox aired the most number of national and regional airings of those promos, at 41,567. Among the big broadcast networks, ABC was next at 25,163, followed by NBC with  21,475; CBS at 11,122; and the CW with 8,286.

For cable networks during the period, Investigation Discovery came in at 27,821, followed by TLC with 26,155; Food Network at 25,363; Discovery with 24,818; Nickelodeon at 22,340; Nat Geo with 17,965; HGTV at 16,012; NFL Network with 14,792; and TBS at 9,854.