TNT Seeing Strong Ad Sales For NBA All-Star Weekend

TNT Around 90% Sold On Ad Slots For NBA All-Star Game Coverage This Weekend

Turner Sports President David Levy said that ad slots for the net's coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend are "about 90% sold," according to Jon Lafayette of TV WEEK. Levy said that the level of ad sales is "about the same as last year at this time." Levy: "We still have packages out there. In general there are some economic conditions that no one is immune to, and as we move forward and we go into the second half of the year, we might see some challenges. But as far as the All-Star Game, we're doing pretty good." Lafayette notes NBA ratings on TNT are up 18% among adults 18-34 and 13% among adults 18-49. During Sunday's All-Star Game telecast, McDonald's will sponsor the starting lineups, Gatorade will sponsor "Around the Cooler" reports, Burger King will present the Shot of the Night and Turbo Tax will bring fans "Money Shots." Levy: "You're going to see a whole different dimension now that we are managing these NBA digital properties around All-Star Weekend" (TV WEEK, 2/9 issue).

STRONG VITAL SIGNS: Levy said the NBA is a "healthy property for TNT." Levy: "We saw strong growth last year in ratings for the regular season and playoffs. It's carrying over this year, as well, even on the NBA's digital properties. We are seeing more streams than ever before, more people logging onto our Web site. ... If a barometer is more people watching or more people interested, then we have a very healthy product" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/9 issue).