LONDON (Brand Republic) -
US TV networks make about 80% of their annual airtime sales in June, ahead of the September season of programmes such as Friends and Frasier.
Pilot episodes of TV programmes are produced in the late spring. The networks negotiate the price of 30-second commercials based on the strength of the pilots.
It is expected that the actors’ strike could begin a week before the airtime-selling period kicks off in June. This could affect the production of pilot shows. Networks would have to depend on blockbuster films and reality TV programmes to draw advertising in the absence of sitcom pilots against which to sell airtime advertising.