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Report: Year’s First Upfront Ad Deal Is Signed — and It Says Plenty About the Direction Television Is Heading

May 11, 2012  •  Post A Comment

The first publicly announced advertising deal of this year’s upfront marketplace has been signed, and it offers proof of the emerging power of Spanish-language television, Advertising Age reports.

The pact has Spanish-language broadcaster Univision leading the way in signing marketers, inking a deal with Starcom that brings a solid commitment of ad dollars from Burger King, Mars/Wrigley, Kellogg Co. and others.

“Starcom and Univision declined to specify terms of the deal, but executives said the volume involved was significant,” the story reports. “The three marketers spent about $54.1 million with Univision in 2011, according to data from Kantar.”

The timing of the deal, with Univision firing the first shot of the upfront, is a sign that things are changing on the broadcast landscape.

“That this particular deal broke the upfront market signals a shift in how the annual event, during which TV networks try to sell ad inventory for the coming fall season, normally proceeds,” Ad Age notes. “Advertisers typically scramble to do deals with broadcast networks, and sometimes cable, with Spanish-language outlets wrapping up business toward the very end.”

Mike Rosen, president-activation at Publicis Groupe’s Starcom, addressed this shift, saying: "There’s a certain routine and tradition and legacy to our business that may not really be based on anything more than just tradition. We think that the power of Spanish-language media that’s been demonstrated by Univision content, its events, on all its platforms, is incredibly valuable to our clients as they try to win in the marketplace and win share gains and profitability."

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