Upfronts 2015: Viacom Says 30% Of Upfront Deals Done

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Viacom says it has written 30% of its upfront deals already.

Speaking on the company’s second quarter earnings call Thursday, CEO Philippe Dauman said that deals had taken place in its Nickelodeon kids portfolio and that advertisers have been interested in buying its networks based on the non-Nielsen metrics it has been developing including Viacom Velocity, Echo and Viacom Vantage.

 “We’re offering Vantage to major advertising partner who want to grow with us. It’s something very unique we’ll offer,” he said.

Dauman said that upfront pricing has been “robust.”

The company announced a 5% decline in second quarter ad revenues, blaming the drop on lower ratings. On the earnings call Dauman said advertising demand has been strong, and that he expected ad revenue growth to increase as the year progressed.

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.