• by Wayne Friedman , 4 hours ago

While linear TV networks continue to use their own airwaves to promote their programming, impressions and “attention” measures continue to trend lower.

Through the first quarter of this year, "media value" for linear TV networks is down 16% to $1.24 billion, according to iSpot.tv

The TV measurement company uses a proprietary calculation to determine that “media value,” which factors in non-program content -- TV promo time on its network -- was paid advertising.

Over the first three months of the year, total promotion impressions dropped to 227.1 billion (from 257.5 billion a year ago) and the attention index is now at 94 (from 124).

Top broadcast networks -- ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and Fox News Networks -- continue to see the best results in terms of impressions and media value.

Major promotional pushes over the three-month period came for CBS’s long running “Survivor” series and its new show “Marshals” and its “America’s Culinary Cup,” and for NBC’s “2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.”

At the same time, paid ad spending -- a small component of all networks' promotional efforts -- has risen to 16% to $202.1 million (from $174.2 million year before).

Broadcast network promotions are running in the most-viewed programming, including for the NFL, college basketball and for “The Big Bang Theory," “2026 Milan Cortina Olympics” and “NCIS.”

Struggling cable TV networks continue to use their non-programming time for program promotion.

Most airings of program promotion during that period for all linear TV networks were for Discovery Family Channel (40,608); Investigation Discovery (34,962); Science Channel (34,889); Oprah Winfrey Network (30,657); and Boomerang (30,561).