Dauman Says Viacom Upfront Halfway Done

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Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman says it is more than half way done with its upfront deals.

Speaking at the Gabelli & Co. Movie & Entertainment Conference Thursday, Dauman said that Viacom has been getting price increases in the high single digit range and seeing volume up in the mid- to high-single digit range.

Viacom has often started its upfront deals earlier than others in the market because it attracts a lot of viewers in the younger, hard to reach demographic. This year's market was expected to be strong, but buyers were resisting paying double digit price increases.

With ratings for many of its cable networks down, Viacom has been reporting lower advertising revenues in the last several quarters.

But Dauman said Viacom was having a strong performance in the upfront because of its brands and because of its data driven products for better targeting ad campaigns.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

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.