ESPN Targeted for Ad Spending Gains in 2016

Related: ESPN College Football Ad Forecast Still Cloudy for Title Game

Media buyers might not be happy with the way its New Year’s Eve college football playoff games performed, but most plan to spend more money on ESPN in 2016, according to a new survey.

Beta Research found that 63% of the advertising media professionals it surveyed said they were planning to spend more on ESPN next year. At the same time 45% said they were planning additional spending on ESPN2.

The broadcast networks also seem to be in line for more spending with 48% of those surveyed planning to bump up spending at NBC and 46% aiming more dollars at ABC, 40% targeting an increase on CBS but just 30% looking to do more business with Fox.

Rounding out the top 10 among cable networks were Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, TNT, TBS, NBC Sports Network, USA Network and AMC.

Buyers also gave ESPN/ABC Sports high marks for providing creative and innovative multiplatform opportunities. Viacom, Scripps Networks, NBC and ABC also scored high in this category.

The top ranked networks for increasing viewer engagement through social media were ESPN/ABC, E!, Viacom, Bravo and ABC Family.

Beta Research’s study was based on telephone interviews conducted between July and October of 2015 with 229 executives, 157 from ad agencies and 72 from advertisers.

The study measured 43 basic cable networks and the four major broadcast networks.

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.