Dive summary:
- A Q2 report of year-over-year ad revenue for major cable networks from analysts at The Standard Media Index shows that ad spend is down.
- Numbers reported included ESPN (down 31%), MTV (also off by 31%) and E! (25% down).
- Cable networks trail broadcast in growth, but still hold the largest percentage of overall ad market at 24.3%; digital media grew market share from 20.8 to 23.9%.
From the article:
"Meanwhile, the A+E cable group (which just announced its subscription to the service last month) saw major increases as programs like The Bible and perennial hit Duck Dynasty brought home the, uh, poultry. History saw revenue climb a whopping 33 percent, while A&E proper was up 11 percent. Lifetime, too, saw a 27 percent bump, though it controls a smaller share of the market than its siblings, and competing nonfiction conglomerate Scripps Networks Interactive saw boosts, as well: HGTV and Food were up 31 percent and 18 percent, respectively. Overall, spend on cable was up 4 percent, while spend on broadcast was up 5."
