At the Upfronts, Data Is Driving Deals

The broadcast ad market is on its feet and moving toward deals as of this week, but one thing that seems to be in much greater play this year is accountable, verifiable data—and not necessarily from the usual sources.

“Budgets are being registered, but I don’t think there’s a lot that’s start-to-finish closed,” said one buyer. Indeed, Fox appears to have leaped into the fray first; Viacom, which has fired the starter pistol several times in recent years, isn’t budging on pricing this time—frequently it’s gone for volume over price, but there are enough endemics for sales folks to dig in their heels a little more.