Latest in Upfronts

Before its debut presentation to ad buyers during the mid-May week of top-tier media and tech pitches, Amazon Ads is rolling out three new streaming video ad formats. The interactive formats are hitting the market just before Amazon's upfront presentation on May 14 at Pier 36 in New York. In previous…

Paramount Advertising President John Halley was preparing to preside over an upfront pitch to Publicis, one of the four major holding companies in the ad business, when big news crossed the wire. Bob Bakish was officially out as CEO of Paramount Global. Much of the reason that the 27-year company…

AMC Networks is rolling out cheaper, ad-supported tiers for all of its niche streaming services after putting ads on its flagship AMC+ bundle late last year. The new versions will all be up and running by the end of the 2024-25 upfront, the company said Monday. It will convene its annual upfront…

E.W. Scripps, which acquired ION in 2020, is repositioning the broadcast network as a home for general entertainment and live sports. WNBA and National Women’s Soccer League games will now occupy weekly slots in the programming lineup, which had historically consisted only of syndicated fare. Many of…

NBCUniversal plans to start using generative AI in its ad sales efforts, the company announced Wednesday at its One24 event for advertisers. AI technology will specifically be used to drive audience targeting and advertiser performance as marketers continue to seek ways to make their messages more…

A+E Networks operates 10 linear networks, the company made sure to note Wednesday during its virtual upfront, but execs said the company’s reach goes beyond the diminishing horizons of pay-TV. President and Chairman Paul Buccieri also highlighted the company’s 50 FAST channels and teased some of the…

Amazon is joining the upfronts crowd, scheduling an event on May 14, in the middle of a series of presentations to ad buyers by media and tech companies. The tech giant will host its first event on the morning of May 14, pitching ad buyers on Amazon's streaming TV offerings, including Prime Video…

A bit more than a year into selling advertising, Netflix is setting plans for its debut in the upfronts, the annual springtime showcase in New York for ad buyers and sellers. The streaming giant will hold what it is calling a “first-look presentation,” hosted by senior executives, on the afternoon of…

NBCUniversal has confirmed the dates of its annual upfront event at Radio City Music Hall in May as well as the fourth edition of its “OnePlatform” showcase of advertising technology in March. The upfront will be held on May 13, its usual Monday slot on the traditional week of upfront pitches to ad…

After a 2023 upfront season marred by the WGA strike, Warner Bros. Discovery is first out of the gate to declare a return engagement this spring at New York’s Theater at Madison Square Garden. The media giant confirmed it will host its annual event on Wednesday, May 15, at 10 a.m. Last year’s…

TelevisaUnivision is seeing overall upfront volume growth in the high-single digits for the company’s best showing in nearly decade. Advertisers helped TelevisaUnivision buck industry trends on price and volume, a person familiar with the situation said. The insurance, auto and telco categories led…

CBS parent Paramount Global and Fox Corp. weighed in on their upfronts today, following NBC last week. The former has closed its 2024 selling season up “low-to-mid single digits” in dollar commitments. Fox Corp. showed gains in news and is looking at a fall slate of sports, animated and unsripted…