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Upfronts week is just beginning—and we’re already tired.
Between the surprise departure of NBCUniversal’s ad sales chief days before its slated Radio City Music Hall presentation, Netflix’s last-minute cancellation of its in-person presentation, and the effects of the ongoing writers’ strike, the biggest week of the year in TV advertising is already shaping up to be like none other.
- On Friday, NBCUniversal announced that Linda Yaccarino, the network’s chair of global advertising and partnerships, was departing the network after more than a decade at the company.
- Simultaneously, Twitter CEO Elon Musk said Yaccarino would join the social network as CEO.
- Mark Marshall, the network’s president, advertising sales and client partnerships, was named interim chairman of NBCUniversal’s advertising and partnerships group.
Meanwhile: The ongoing writers’ strike, which could end up affecting fall TV schedules, is sure to have a considerable impact on networks’ presentations to advertisers. It’s already disrupted the NewFronts, when picketers appeared outside Peacock’s pitch to advertisers. Paramount pulled out of the IAB’s Podcast Upfront last week, citing the writers’ strike.
Netflix, which previously planned to hold its inaugural upfront presentation at New York’s Paris Theater, dropped its in-person plans at the eleventh hour amid the strike and will instead pitch to advertisers virtually.
Outside the presentations, expect picket lines; during the presentations themselves, there may be fewer TV stars willing and able to appear. Netflix confirmed to Adweek that no talent will participate in its presentation, although NBCUniversal said it will still feature talent. (Unscripted shows, it’s worth noting, may be less affected by the WGA strike).
We’ll be covering the upfronts all week, so stay tuned for more updates.
The schedule for this year’s upfronts is below:
- 5/15, 10:30am: NBCUniversal, Radio City Music Hall
- 5/15, 4pm: Fox, The Manhattan Center
- 5/16, 11:30am: TelevisaUnivision, Pier 36
- 5/16, 4pm: Disney, the North Javits Center
- 5/17, 10am: Warner Bros. Discovery, Madison Square Garden
- 5/17, 5pm: Netflix, online only
- 5/17, 7pm: YouTube Brandcast, Lincoln Center
- 5/18, 9:30am: The CW, Park Lane Hotel