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Week-to-Week Pacing Changes
This week we saw more growth from Q2 Core, picking up 0.3 points.
May fell 0.2 points.
June grew by 0.8 points.
Quite a few categories grew in June, but declines were seen for Fox and MyNet affiliates, as well as the Midwest and Northeast regions.
June has now posted two positive weeks in a row, and that momentum may continue, with heavy-ups expected from Volvo, Chevy, and Ford, plus expected dollars crossing over into Q3 from United Healthcare in some markets. On top of that, we’re hearing that some advertisers are starting their Q3 schedules on 6/22, which could give June a nice last-minute boost when Q3 orders come down in the middle of the month. I’m raising my estimate for the month slightly in response to this positive momentum.
June continues to be a stronger month relative to the rest of the quarter, and not just for Fox stations carrying the World Cup. Is it because Prime was down in April and May, making this less of a factor for the repeat- and summer-programming-heavy June? Is the month priced lower? Did advertisers avoid April and May in markets where primary spending was strong?
While I don’t have those answers yet, I’m encouraged to see the month picking up. However, I can’t call this a “turnaround” from the weaker-than-usual April and May months, and this minor pickup is certainly not guaranteed to carry forward into July.
I still recommend that you keep July priced aggressively and encourage your advertisers to pull schedules earlier into the quarter if you expect big political dollars. Even if June is a sign of modest improvement, July is almost always an open month, so do whatever you can to fill it up.Q2 vs. 2025:
April: -13.6%
May: -13.2% – flat to last week
June: -4.4% – up 0.7 points from last week
Q2 Total: -10.5% - up 0.2 points from last week
2026 vs. 2025:
Q1: -2.0%
Q2: -10.5% - flat to last week
Q3: -11.2% - up 1.1 points from last week
Q4: -14.7% - up 0.6 points from last week
2026: -9.6% - up 0.5 points from last week
Published: 05-07-2026
Published: 05-26-2026
Published: 05-21-2026