Local TV Ad Revenue Up 23.5% In 2010

Local broadcast TV advertising revenue last year topped every other TV media sector in terms of percentage growth. That’s according to a Television Advertising Bureau analysis of estimates from Kantar Media.

Led by a surge in automotive dollars, local TV experienced a 23.5% gain over the previous year, according to the TVB analysis. Broadcast network TV posted a 5.7% gain; syndicated TV was down 2.8%, and network cable TV was up 10.0%. Those components added up to a 10.2% gain for all of television.

Almost all of the top 10 advertising categories on the local broadcast TV side (including both local and national spot activity) posted gains during 2010. The No. 1 category, automotive manufacturers, was up 53.7% compared to the same period in 2009. No. 2, communications/ telecommunications, was up 14.7%; No. 3, restaurants, was up 8.1%.

The fourth-ranked category, political, was up 598.8%; No. 5, financial, was up 54.3%; No. 6, car and truck dealers, was up 18.6%; No. 7, furniture stores, was down 13.7%; No. 8, insurance, was up 10.5%; No. 9, government and organizations, was up 31.3%, and No. 10, schools, colleges and camps, was up 11.5%.

Nine of local broadcast’s top 10 individual advertisers were also up. No. 1, Political Advertising, was up 538.4%; No. 2, Chrysler Group LLC, was up 66.0%; No. 3, AT&T, was up 41.2%; No. 4, Ford Motor Co. Dealers Association, was up 45.2%; No. 5, Toyota Motor Corp. Dealers Association, was up 55.2%; No. 6, Honda Motor Co., was up 31.1%; No. 7, Verizon Communications, was down 5.3%; No. 8, Comcast, was up 29.1%; No. 9, General Mills, was up 10.5%, and No. 10, General Motors Corp., was up 73.0%.

Complete figures can be found on the TVB website.