CW Completes Upfront Advertising Sales

The CW on Thursday completed its upfront ad sales for next season, a source familiar with the situation said.

Despite lower ratings during the 2011-12 season, advertisers snapped up 75% of the net's inventory, paying about 7% more on a cost-per-thousand (CPM) basis to reach its young female viewers. Volume was flat at more than $400 million.

The CW has been employing a "convergence strategy," selling ads on TV together with ads shown when viewers watch on line.

This year the network added a mobile app to the mix, selling ads on iPhones and iPads as part of the mix.

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.