The agreement brings an end to a period of stalemate between the American TV networks and advertisers, coming nearly a month after broadcasters presented their autumn/spring season programming.
As part of the deal, GroupM agencies MindShare, Mediaedge:cia, Maxus and MediaCom will plan and buy ads for clients such as Ford, HSBC, Volkswagen and American Express across all NBC's channels, including its main terrestrial network NBC, Bravo, the Sci Fi Channel and USA Network.
The agreement was reached on the basis of GroupM's client strategies and is based on Nielsen's new "live plus three" measurement system, which also accounts for viewers recording shows on their digital video recorders and watching them within three days after broadcast.
The inclusion of DVRs and their ad-skipping technology has been a crucial change, because working how these would be accounted for had been a sticking point in the signing of upfront deals. The upfronts are the showcase for new shows and renewals for US TV networks to advertisers and their media agencies.
NBC is behind such shows as the critically acclaimed 'Battlestar Galactica' and 'Heroes', which each air on its Sci Fi Network, as well as 'The Apprentice', 'Law & Order' and 'Scrubs.
New shows announced at its upfront presentation include: 'Journeyman', which stars Kevin McKidd from 'Rome' as a San Francisco newspaper reporter who suddenly travels through time; 'Chuck', a geek turned secret agent; the 'Bionic Woman' starring Michelle Ryan; the 'The IT Crowd', based on the Channel 4 comedy; and 'Lipstick Jungle' the new drama based on Candance Bushnell's novel about three high-powered women.
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