Al Jazeera America heads into the upfronts lacking one important thing.

Viewers.

How low is viewership?

The channel isn't even pulling in half the total audience that predecessor Current TV managed. Al Jazeera America has averaged just 15,000 total viewers in prime-time since bowing in August, with only 5,000 viewers in the target 25-to-54-year-old demographic, according to Nielsen figures.

That's low enough to be considered "scratch," or negligible, by Nielsen. For the marketers that still worry about the channel's perspective and its image in the U.S., those aren't the kind of numbers to tempt a re-examination.

Al Jazeera America CEO Ehab Al Shihabi has previously said that profits are important over time but not his primary goal initially.

In other words, the network is trying to spin the fact they have no viewers. 

Good luck selling that at the upfronts.

H/T Ad Age