In a week of upfronts from media’s biggest players, buyers say they were generally happy to return to in-person events that allowed them to connect with their industry peers—but not all of the presentations wowed audiences, and some wondered about the larger purpose of the upfronts in 2022.

Attendees say a presentation by Fox underwhelmed, as the company sent buyers to downtown Manhattan for a largely prerecorded presentation, whereas others wowed with celebrities, lavish parties and even pyrotechnics. Disney, meanwhile, nearly threw out some attendees’ backs.

For the most part, the return to in-person soirees was a net good for advertisers, some of whom say the shows have been great for bridging gaps that were created by virtual presentations necessitated by the pandemic. One buyer who spoke with Ad Age said the in-person events have been great for business, given that in-person conversations allow for negotiation and disagreement that don’t always play well in Zoom-based settings.

Zoom made an unexpected appearance, though, as a part of Disney’s elaborate upfront at Basketball City at Pier 36 on Tuesday, thanks to Jimmy Kimmel contracting COVID prior to the show.

“I’m alive right now—I’m about three miles away from a place where people don’t care about COVID: Fox,” quipped Kimmel. “I mean, I’m bummed about this. I really don’t like doing this remotely—I don’t mean remotely, like on Zoom. I mean, I don’t remotely like doing this. But what the hell? How about those fuckers at Fox yesterday? After two years of telling everyone COVID is a hoax, they trick you into taking an Uber to watch a tape. Can they do that? And more importantly, why didn’t we do that?”

Later, the comedian and late-night host joked, “A quick update for those of you who were at whatever that was that Fox did yesterday: All the shows they told you about have been canceled, and all their executives are dead. Fox doesn’t have any money for their shows this year because they gave all their money to Tom Brady.”

One source called Fox’s format “silly,” as in-person attendees seemed to gain little by making the pilgrimage from mostly Midtown-based upfronts to the lower tip of Manhattan, where they were seated in a room encircled by massive screens that played the majority of the company’s presentation. While an after-party followed Fox’s event, it fell flat when compared to the lavish events thrown by some of its peers—particularly Paramount.

It took “months” to prepare just the party element of Paramount’s upfront, said several sources familiar with the planning. The party spanned five stories—modeled after legacy department stores, complete with interactive storefronts—and followed a comparatively brief presentation at Carnegie Hall earlier Wednesday. It was far and away the most lively upfront event.

A recurring theme of conversation among Paramount party attendees on Wednesday evening was not only annoyance at Fox’s prerecorded presentation, but exasperation at the length of Disney’s event—and the unfortunate seating setup. While VIPs were situated close to the Disney stage on plush white and blue sofas, hundreds of others were stuck on bleacher-style seating that was visibly (and audibly) uncomfortable. One attendee at the presentation remarked to another that the upfront, which heavily featured executive spiels, was “long as fuck.” (It ran for roughly two hours.) Many attendees of Disney’s event immediately departed afterward to make YouTube’s Brandcast event, which was being held on the opposite side of town at The Imperial Theater (with proper seating).

One buyer who spoke to Ad Age wasn’t sold on the benefit of the entire week.

“I’ve felt like they’ve mostly been a waste of time,” said the buyer, who added that nothing they had seen swayed where they’d recommend clients spend their ad money. “I keep hearing people say, ‘But it’s not for buyers anymore.’ Which is fine, but I honestly don’t really know who they are for, then.”

Despite various hiccups—and inevitable griping (an upfronts tradition, of course)—the leading sentiment among advertisers, buyers and executives who spoke with Ad Age throughout the week has been positive.

“All the presentations that I’ve attended this week have been so energizing,” said another buyer.  “It’s been fantastic to be able to reconnect with everyone in person. I think the upfronts are definitely still useful. They help us share perspectives with our clients in real-time and spark new opportunities.”

And, in the end, there was still plenty of star power to keep attendees engaged. Late Thursday morning at The CW’s upfront, Stevie Wonder had the room cheering, clapping and whooping along with his live performance of “Superstition”—a welcome break from the executive intros that led many other upfront pitches.

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