Upfront Negotiations in 'Holding Pattern' as Covid-19 Cases Surge

Buyers, networks remain far apart on pricing amid continued uncertainty

By early July of a typical year, most media companies have already wrapped up their annual upfront negotiations. But like everything else in the industry, that timetable was upended this year by the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in a staggered upfront marketplace with some clients negotiating in the usual broadcast upfront timeframe, while others shifted to a calendar year upfront.

However, even for brands able to transact on a typical upfront timeframe, negotiations have largely stalled, with buyers and networks remaining far apart on pricing amid continued economic uncertainty.

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