Upfront: Numbers on the Upswing

The 2002-03 prime-time broadcast TV season’s upfront marketplace could total $7.6 billion when buying is completed by week’s end, media buyers and network executives said. That would represent an increase of $700 million or more than 10 percent over last year’s $6.9 billion, and more than half way back to the networks’ re cord $8.1 billion take in 2000.

In all, as much as 40 percent, or $3 billion of all broadcast prime-time up front dollars, were expected to be sold by the six networks by last weekend.