Broadcast TV is on the comeback trail

FROM CAMPAIGN US: The TV business has had a couple of questionable years, but things may be turning up. After two years of consecutive losses, the broadcast and cable networks enjoyed a stronger than usual upfront season this year, and now a new research study reports that TV ads pull higher engagement and recall rates than on digital platforms.

Maybe the future “death” of TV has finally been proven to be a gross exaggeration.

Despite the increased attention digital platforms have received from advertisers in recent years, the networks reported CPM increases of as much as 10% and an estimated 5% increase in ad spending this upfront season. And the projected dollar amount is expected to surpass the $17.8 billion inventory sold last year.

In recent years, broadcast and cable networks have been battling the perception that the growing digital landscape was making them obsolete. Digital, after all, caters to the youth of today. TV, in contrast, has often felt stale and stodgy. But recent hits like Fox’s “Empire” and USA Network’s “Mr. Robot” are proving detractors wrong. And in an environment in which the effectiveness of digital advertising is being questioned, a new Nielsen-backed study is showing that even though audiences may be streaming “Game of Thrones” or “America’s Got Talent,” they aren’t necessarily paying attention to the advertising.

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