7 Days of Deals

DEAL OF THE WEEK: Bigger Television Upfront Haul Still Disappoints the Bulls: The broadcast networks finished their upfront ad sales for the 2011-12 season with slightly less than some on Wall Street predicted. CBS, Fox, ABC, NBC and the CW booked an estimated $9 billion to $9.2 billion, compared with an estimated $8.5 billion in 2010. That would be an increase of 6 to 8 percent, not too shabby but below bullish projections. "These numbers are slightly disappointing given the expectations for 12-13 percent [rate] increases, but they still represent strong growth and recovery," says Janney Montgomery Scott analyst Tony Wible. CBS, the most-viewed network, led with ad-rate increases of 13 to 15 percent and a $2.6 billion to $2.7 billion total upfront take; other nets boast price gains in the 10 percent range. NBC posted the smallest gain at 9 percent. Up next: the big cable networks. Time Warner's Turner Networks group has finished a majority of its upfront business, with prices up in the 12 to 13 percent range, according to sources. Wunderlich Securities analyst Matthew Harrigan says Viacom's MTV Networks has also already moved "significant inventory." He expects the total cable upfront to be up 8 to 12 percent in terms of prices and 12 percent in volume. That could leave the cable upfront market up 15 percent from last year at $9.2 billion-plus -- larger than the broadcast networks' haul. -- Georg Szalai