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Media Buying
Upfront
A major, highly structured sales period where television networks sell the vast majority of their premium commercial inventory months before the season begins.
What is Upfront?
Upfronts are broadcast's annual set-piece negotiation. Networks present their programming slates to agencies and advertisers in lavish presentations, and the major buyers commit billions of dollars of advertising spend for the coming season months in advance. In exchange for the early commitment, advertisers lock in guaranteed delivery at set CPMs: insulating themselves from spot-market price spikes during the season.
Radio has a softer equivalent; television Upfronts are the industry's signature event. The remaining inventory that goes unsold during Upfronts gets sold later in the Scatter market, usually at higher spot rates but with less guaranteed delivery. The Upfront/Scatter split is one of the oldest structural features of US broadcast advertising.
Why it matters
Upfronts secure guaranteed, predictable revenue for broadcast networks and lock in guaranteed placement for major national brands at set pricing.
Navigate Upfront commitments with data
Spotwise tracks how Upfront commitments translate into real ad delivery: proving or disproving guaranteed CPMs after the fact.