MediaPost
Broadcast networks produced a 3.5% increase in the number of combined commercial minutes in prime time last year — a sign that networks may be forced to squeeze in more spots to keep revenues growing. Nielsen figures show that the total rose to 5,688 minutes in 2008, topping the total of 5,492 the year before.
While prime time saw a notable boost, daytime commercial minutes were about flat, with a total of 3,811 increasing less than 1% over 2007.
The figures span the range of English-language broadcast networks, including CW, MyNetworkTV and Ion. Cable is excluded
When prime-time and daytime commercial minutes are combined, the 2008 total increases 2.5%. That is close to the 3.5% increase in total revenues (to $17.23 billion) for the Big 4 networks in 2008, according to Universal McCann. More…