To media buyers are looking for a place to park their advertising dollars during this crowded era of peak TV, AMC Networks' message is we've got the good stuff and we air commercials.
After holding a large-scale star studded upfront event last year AMC Networks this week is beginning a series of smaller scale dinners and lunches. Talent will be in attendance, but Scott Collins, president of ad sales at AMC Networks, says the more intimate setting will allow clients and agencies speak a little more freely, be a little more comfortable, and ask more engaging questions about client needs.
Collins contends that the networks he's selling stand out even at a time when more channels and increasing number of tech-driven streaming services are trying to compete in AMC's wheelhouse.
Read More: Upfront Central
We think it's a great moment for us. We tend to produce the stuff that people really do care about and the stuff that really breaks through, Collins says.
When you stop and consider the explosion of content, it really is on the platforms that are not ad supported that's vying for people's attention, he adds. At AMC Networks we are proudly ad supported so it makes what we have that much more unique and precious.
Most precious remains The Walking Dead, which despite declining ratings remains the most-watched scripted show in TV.
Collins also points to the programming on the company's other networks.
After a big reception for the first episodes of BBC America's Planet Earth: Blue Planet 2, which was simulcast on all five AMC Networks channels, the company is going to market with plans to simulcast the entire season of the next installment on BBC America, AMC, IFC and Sundance TV.
This type of content, it's so unique and so different. It's such wonderful feel-good television and we think we can make a much bigger event out of it, Collins says.
Renewed for second seasons are BBC America's Killing Eve, Sundance TV's Liar and Love After Lockup on WE-TV.
AMC sells more than commercials. Last year it did a big augmented reality program for Mountain Dew that let users capture Walking Dead zombies and win soft drinks. AMC did research on the sponsorship and found that it created $10 million in incremental sales and converted 9% of soda drinkers into Mountain Dew drinkers.
That sort of showcase for the power of television and how our IP affects cash register is pretty potent for us, Collins says.
AMC has also getting involved with gaming, launching an augmented reality game called Our World. Collins says the game will be able to drive traffic to stores and restaurants and is looking for sponsors.
In a market where the big boys are showing off their data power, AMC Networks recently launched its own Agility data-driven advertising division. Agility's first product is Aurora, a targeted solution platform that promises a high level of transparency as well as an ability to be used for planning TV across networks.
It's on a client's desktop so they can actually play with it and see it's not just what we want you to buy on our air, but you could actually optimize your target across all of television, Collins says.
AMC Networks is also in the business of events that build its own brands and present opportunities for advertisers to sponsor.
The list includes long running events like the Sundance Festival and Independent Spirit Awards as well as newer ones like Rooftop Films and Afropunk in Brooklyn.
I recent weeks there have been a number of forecasts calling for TV spending to be flat to down for the foreseeable future while digital grows. In the fourth quarter, AMC Networks reported a 9.9% drop in ad revenue to $269 million at its national networks. For the full year, ad revenue were down 3.1% to $960 million.
But like many TV ad execs, Collins is upbeat about the upfront market as Facebook's found Mark Zuckerberg faces Congress over privacy issues.
Upfronts are funning because sometimes they can surprise you and they have their own pace and cadence. I think a lot of people are going to be concerned about getting their money down on the right content and I think that remains the driver of upfronts, and I don't think this year will be any different, he says.
There's a lot of uncertainty out there and I think television has proven time and time again to really be able to move product and tell stories about brands, he says. Safety hasn't been solved either [by digital ad sellers], he added.
I guess it depends on who you talk to, but I think a lot of brands really need the consistency and the safeness and the I don't what I'm getting with television' and when someone is looking for that, we have that in spades, Collins says.
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
12/01/2026
For the first time in the nine-year history of Dancing with the Stars, the first...
10/01/2026
This year, podcasts are making their Golden Globes debut with a new category honoring the medium's leading shows and creators. To mark the occasion, Spotify...
09/01/2026
RT Player has 157 million streams, up 10% year-on-year
An increase on 2024, RT...
09/01/2026
RT 2FM has today announced the highly anticipated list of 2FM Rising Artists for 2026, kicking off 2FM Rising week for the eighth year on The Tracy Clifford Sh...
09/01/2026
RT to Host the 2026 RTS Ireland Awards
Thursday, 16 April 2026 | Dublin Royal Convention Centre
The RTS Ireland Television Awards 2026 | Gradaim RTS 2026 | R...
08/01/2026
An evidence-based analysis on disinformation and information manipulation in Sudan's ongoing conflict is published today. (January 8th 2026).
Thomson Found...
08/01/2026
In 2025 we launched the Spotify Partner Program to give creators more ways to tu...
08/01/2026
On Wednesday in Los Angeles, Spotify welcomed creators and press to a brunch cel...
08/01/2026
TSA awards Rohde & Schwarz contract for advanced airport screening ahead of Socc...
08/01/2026
The review looks back at DPA's miniature microphone development over the years. It compares the evolving technologies from the original mics through CORE an...
08/01/2026
Comscore Launches Audio Targeting and Measurement Capabilities with The Trade De...
08/01/2026
Tonight, on RT Prime Time at 9:35pm on RT One and RT Player
Tonight, Prime T...
08/01/2026
The Late Late Show celebrates the very best of traditional Irish music with its first-ever full special dedicated entirely to the tradition
Lisa Canny | Kevin...
08/01/2026
It will be murder on the dancefloor when Dancing with the Stars returns this S...
07/01/2026
Spotify is launching a week-long celebration spotlighting creators at the center...
07/01/2026
We know people use Spotify not just to listen, but to share the songs, podcasts, and audiobooks they love with their friends and family. When we launched Messag...
07/01/2026
This week, all eyes are on the podcast industry as the Golden Globes recognizes ...
07/01/2026
Podcasts are stepping onto a new stage this week as the Golden Globes recognize the medium for the first time. To mark this milestone moment, we're hosting ...
06/01/2026
Spotify is launching a week-long celebration spotlighting creators at the center...
06/01/2026
Lorde. A$AP Rocky. JENNIE. Baby Keem. KATSEYE. That's just a taste of who...
06/01/2026
Channel 4 and UKTV are giving viewers even more reasons to stream, with UKTV's U service set to feature thousands of hours of free, unmissable and bingeable...
06/01/2026
Tuesday 6 January 2026
An update on our Sky Mobile prices
Devesh Raj, Chief Operating Officer, Sky
Today, we've announced some changes to the prices of ...
06/01/2026
Comscore Launches Daily Program-Level Reporting with Deduplicated Insights on Sh...
06/01/2026
Comscore Completes Recapitalization Transaction with Preferred Stockholders Foll...
05/01/2026
Bad Bunny's DeB TiRAR M S FOToS defined the sound of 2025 for listeners eve...
05/01/2026
As the clock struck midnight and 2026 was born, so was an exciting range of new ...
05/01/2026
These Sacred Vows starring Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Justine Mitchell and Jason O'...
05/01/2026
DANDANCING WITH THE STARS RETURNS TO SHAKE UP SUNDAY NIGHTS
Reigning Rose of Tr...
02/01/2026
Any Given Day: Cork University Hospital premieres Wednesday 7 January on RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm
RT will debut a powerful new six-part documentary se...
02/01/2026
Friday 2 January 2026
All episodes of Heated Rivalry will be landing on Sky and...
02/01/2026
Sequins, chat shows, live sporting action, ground-breaking docuseries and brand-new Irish drama to kick off 2026
New Year, New Content Coming Soon across RT
...
01/01/2026
The Quantum 852 is situated in the 6,500-seat Seoul-based place of worship, a church which is home to a 1,000-person choir and a 50-piece orchestra. There are f...
01/01/2026
Formed in 2002, OneRepublic have enjoyed huge international success, with over 18 billion streams on Spotify alone. Their current tour, Escape to Europe, contin...
01/01/2026
We had been using the club's previous console for the last ten years, so we researched manufacturer information very carefully, says venue audio manager Mr...
30/12/2025
Your live countdown to 2026 with Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
24/12/2025
RT has unveiled an exclusive first look at the new Dancing with the Stars promo...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
22/12/2025
For a decade, popular German podcast Fest & Flauschig has hosted an annual Chris...
22/12/2025
Monday 22 December 2025
Sky extends PGA TOUR partnership until 2029, as Sky Spo...
22/12/2025
Siobh n McSweeney, Rory McIlroy, Elon Musk, Catherine Connolly, Jim Gavin, Ivan Yates and Traitor Paudie Moloney lead new characters for Callan Kicks the Year 2...
22/12/2025
Winner announced in the picturesque surroundings of Wicklow's Avondale Tower and Treetop Walk
Andrew Trimble wins the show in his first series as coach
Th...
22/12/2025
The 2025 winners have been announced today, Sunday 21 December, for Ireland's largest choral competition Choirs for Christmas hosted by RT lyric fm.
Ove...
21/12/2025
John Shortt named Young Sportsperson of the Year Kerry are the Team of the Year
...
To media buyers are looking for a place to park their advertising dollars during this crowded era of peak TV, AMC Networks' message is we've got the good stuff and we air commercials.
