Footy return might revive ad market, says UBS

UBS says declining media ad rates could accelerate from an already sharp drop in April before the looming AFL and NRL restart helps slows the fall in June. Broadly consistent with recent media owner updates, UBS said the standard media index suggests agency bookings were down 43 per cent in April. Outdoor advertising, down 63 per cent, magazines, down 54 per cent, and metro radio, down 48 per cent, were hit the hardest. The Metro TV spend was down 29 percent.
UBS said the Ten Network ad market share share benefited from strong MasterChef audiences and a pull forward of MasterChef to mid-April this year vs. late April last year, and the lack of NRL / AFL on competing networks.