Upfronts 2018: Fewer Options Than Ever

As we move into the upfronts 2018 selling season, there are trends afoot that could have implications for those brands seeking TV inventory.

Here’s where to tune your focus this season:

Less Inventory

For one thing, more networks are reducing the amount of inventory on offer for upfronts 2018. NBCU is one of several media companies that announced it will reduce the number of ad minutes in its primetime commercial pods starting in the fourth quarter, according to Variety. Turner, Viacom, and Fox also announced cuts in the amount of ad inventory in some of their programs.
These efforts come in response to declining attention paid to on-air ads by viewers who can block, mute, fast-forward, or even jump platforms to seek ad-free alternatives. In the past, viewers tended to tolerate more ad time due to a lack of content-delivery alternatives; but now, advertising not only has to be relevant, it must be less disruptive as well. So in terms of supply and demand, a smaller supply of inventory—while preferred by viewers—could result in higher prices for advertisers.

Read the full article on the Videa blog.