TV upfronts 2024—media buyers react to Amazon, Netflix, Disney, NBCU and other ad pitches

With the 2024 TV upfronts in the rearview, media buyers, working on behalf of advertisers, will begin negotiating with media companies to secure the best rates and inventory for the coming broadcast year. Ad Age surveyed 11 media buyers about their favorite presentations and top takeaways from upfront week, which featured a few surprising themes. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs “I felt like the traditional linear partners hit it out of the park with the deliverables of both the flash and glam along with data and what their platforms can deliver,” said one media buyer. “But it seemed like the newer vendors in the upfront week were still getting comfortable.” Top celebrity appearance Of the 11 media buyers surveyed, Reese Witherspoon was voted the most impressive celebrity from the upfronts. Numerous buyers called out Witherspoon’s multiple appearances at Amazon’s upfront and ranked the upcoming Prime Video series “Elle,” a high school origin story for the protagonist of “Legally Blonde,” among their most anticipated of the many series announced during upfront week. Honorable mentions went to Bruiser, Elle Woods’ chihuahua from “Legally Blonde,” as well as Will Ferrell, who presented the upcoming Prime Video rom-com “You’re Cordially Invited” (which he will star in alongside Witherspoon) earlier in the show. Read more about Amazon’s upfront here Among other top callouts were Billie Eilish’s performance at YouTube’s Brandcast, a rare appearance by tennis star Roger Federer at Amazon’s show and Jason Kelce’s debut at Disney’s upfront, where he announced he’d be joining ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” pregame show as an analyst. Old school upfronts Buyers largely said this year’s presentations felt like a return to form for the TV upfronts, with a heavy focus on upcoming content and exclusive previews, compared to two years in which programming slates were uncertain due to the pandemic and Hollywood strikes. “It was nice to see the focus return to content, which reminded me of the old-school upfront days where new programming was the core of the presentations,” said a second media buyer. Six of the surveyed buyers noted the focus on content as the top trend of the week, particularly as a primary bargaining tool for media companies trying to differentiate themselves from the crowded pack of presentations. This took shape in different ways for various media players: Amazon debuted numerous scripted series and game shows coming to Prime Video and breezed through its valuable sports content, including “Thursday Night Football” and the WNBA. Advertisers have previously wondered whether Prime Video will have a consistent output of originals to make the most of its ad-supported scale in streaming, and its upfront seemed an effort to dispel any questions. And while Netflix is known for its entertainment content, it gave attention to its new sports assets. The streamer announced exclusive NFL games streaming on Christmas Day in 2024, 2025 and 2026, and played up its upcoming WWE Raw matches streaming live every week in 2025. “Each company rolled out more and more originals that can only be seen on their platforms,” said a third buyer. “If we’ve learned anything from this week, it’s that we are almost circling back to the need for a basic cable subscription after you add up all the prices of what you pay to these streaming services.” Streaming rules “If content was king, streaming was queen,” said a fourth buyer. The companies representing linear networks took a separate approach, emphasizing their streaming assets in their presentations. While Disney, NBCU, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery all previewed their newest broadcast and cable assets, each also leaned into their streaming platforms as the central hubs for advertisers, particularly as they each look to aggregate the reach of their individual platforms via advanced audience packages. NBCU and Warner Bros. Discovery, in particular, emphasized their film studios and upcoming blockbusters, which the companies said they’re looking to package for exclusive sponsorships given the shortened window between theatrical and video on demand driven by streaming. For example, WBD presented its streamer Max as the doorway for advertisers to the rest of its assets, particularly by packaging popular franchises such as “Dune,” “Harry Potter” and those in the DC Comics universe. While the media company promoted new seasons of shows including “House of the Dragon” and “The White Lotus,” it also took a unique approach by pitching the value of its library franchises such as “The Big Bang Theory,” which concluded five years ago. Media companies’ emphasis on audience-based buying connects the dots of their growing mega-media portfolios, allowing ads to reach desired viewers across both linear and digital platforms. Read more about WBD’s upfront here “There was a big trend in interoperability and simplifying products, with the recurring word ‘one’ referring to one easy solution for large content libraries across multiple platforms,” said a fifth buyer. “For example, advertisers can make one buy with a media company, who will determine the best solution based on the client’s goals, business outcomes and data.” Across the upfront shows, advertisers were pitched “One WBD,” “One Fox,” NBCU’s “One Platform” and the unified Amazon sales structure. This pitch is particularly targeted at advertisers’ emphasis on media partners that can spread their ad dollars across the most assets. “Proximity to premium content wonzt be sufficient to compete for ad dollars in 2024—studios and streamers are now looking to woo brands by showcasing the maximum amount of value they can get within the walled garden of a comprehensive ecosystem,” said a sixth buyer. “Everyone was touting one-stop-shop offerings and watch-time stats to make the case that their specific entertainment universe will be the one to satiate all audience content consumption needs. Sports sell and measurement is MIA As always, sports did get a highlight from all presentations, particularly the highest-performing assets in the Super Bowl and women’s sports. Although Fox will air the 2025 Super Bowl, both NBCU and Disney gave stage time to their Big Games which will air in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Disney in particular gave significant time to their Super Bowl in three years, with a segment cracking jokes about the Valentine’s Day date of the match. In addition to the NFL, “women’s sports in general was the most touted theme I can recall, and any partner carrying women’s sports in any capacity made sure to let everyone know about it,” said a seventh buyer, with an eighth buyer adding that “there was a focus by multiple partners on the WNBA and specifically Caitlin Clark—seems like everyone wants to be in the Clark business.” Watch Gatorade’s Caitlin Clark ad for her WNBA debut On the other end of the spectrum, measurement and alternative currencies, which was a hot topic last year, got very little mention. Ultimately, this year’s upfronts was a reversal of the last two years, which were heavily dedicated to showcasing new technologies. “There was a collective notion that technology, specifically AI, would dominate these presentations, but it was refreshing to find that creativity and content were still leading the conversation,” said a sixth buyer. “The spirit of the upfronts has always been anchored in creative content and its value to brands. I was relieved that the more technically-driven industry conversations were left to more appropriate forums like the NewFronts.” Mixed reviews The 11 buyers’ reviews of the upfront week shows were mixed. The most positively ranked among them were Netflix and NBCUniversal’s shows. NBCU’s upfront, which kicks off upfront week each year from Radio City Music Hall, brought back a feeling of nostalgia for upfronts of yore after the past few years have grappled with coronavirus precautions and then the loss of Hollywood talent due to the Writers Guild of America strike last year. “There’s just something about being in Radio City,” said the first media buyer, noting the opening show was a welcome back to “a real sense of normalcy post-pandemic.” The fifth media buyer said NBCU’s show was the “tightest and most straightforward presentation,” but Netflix topped some buyers’ rankings for the opposite reason. A ninth media buyer enjoyed how the streamer “went in a different direction and switched things up” with its multi-room activation putting attendees in the worlds of “Squid Game” and “Bridgerton,” among other themed activities and photo ops. And the fourth buyer said the week’s winner was a tie between Netflix and Amazon for “flexing their differentiation,” although reviews of Amazon’s upfront were mixed. Similarly, Amazon’s mix of content announcements and celebrity appearances alongside its ad capability pitch “kept the show engaging,” said the sixth buyer. The buyer appreciated Amazon for addressing complaints about its fragmented verticals and sales force by introducing a single access point for advertising in its streaming platforms. But others pointed out the messy logistics of Amazon’s event outside of the show. Throughout the week, the event’s long line and lack of seating were a common topic of conversation. “Let’s talk about the line to get in—an hour-plus long wait just to get in the door,” said the third buyer. The buyer said it was impossible to see the stage from the standing room area some were stuck in, and that there weren’t screens available to help. The buyer also said it “was disappointing to not hear any real-time updates on how Amazon looks to steal share-of-voice from legacy [network companies], and with their huge IP, was hoping to see more of how they approach the video landscape versus hearing about more shows they are adding to their platform.” Disney’s upfront also got high and low votes from the surveyed buyers. The third buyer ranked it their favorite for balancing data and tech capabilities with celebrities and entertainment. The first buyer also said Disney was a standout in dazzling clients with their parade of stars, but the third buyer said Disney’s show was slow and repetitive despite the A-Listers.

TV upfronts 2024—media buyers react to Amazon, Netflix, Disney, NBCU and other ad pitches

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