Disney Finishes Upfront With 5% Volume Gain

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The Walt Disney Co. completed its upfront negotiations ringing up a 5% gain in sales commitments, according to a source familiar with the situation.

This year’s upfront included FX Networks and National Geographic Networks acquired as part of the 21st Century Fox deal.

Broadcast prime and late night prices for ABC on a cost-per-thousand viewers basis were up by double digits. Advertisers were interested in the final season of Modern Family and new series mixed-ish and For Life.

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Cable and sports, including ESPN, were up in the low double digits. 

ESPN’s Monday Night Football was up 20% in volume and college football was up 10%.

News prices were up by high-single digits.

Disney also saw strong demand for its Academy Awards broadcast and sold more than 50% of available units as part of the upfront.

Digital spending was up 50% versus a year ago, including cross-portfolio digital commitments.

Also up 50% were addressable advertising deals.

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.