‘New’ Fox Wraps Up First Upfront Ad Sales

Fox, after selling its entertainment cable networks and focusing on live programming, saw gains in volume and pricing as it wrapped up its upfront advertising sales.

While Fox--and other networks--had anticipated a strong upfront, the market was even more robust than expected, according to people familiar with the situation.

Fox’s entertainment lineup racked up a high-single-digit gain in dollar volume with ad prices rising in the teens on a cost-per-thousand viewers (CPM) basis.

Strong categories include telecom, auto, financial services and streaming services.

Fox emphasized its sports lineup and saw an increase in volume and pricing for game telecasts, with strong demand for college football, Major League Baseball and its FS1 network. Fox is also adding WWE wrestling to its primetime lineup this season.

Fox has the Super Bowl, but those sales so far are not included.

This year, Fox’s ad sales--including Fox News--were consolidated under ad sales president Marianne Gambelli, who had been in charge of Fox News ad sales. News volume was flattish.

This year's upfront ad sales got off to a quick start, with The CW, CBS, Crown Media and WarnerMedia already having closed their books.

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.