Upfronts May Become Extinct
Those glitzy upfront presentations may well soon be a thing of the past, at least if NBC follows through on a threat to end its annual extravaganza at Radio City Hall. Every May for years, the nets have used elaborate performances to help drum up billions of dollars worth of TV ads, but the Peacock Network may be ready to call off a tradition its chief executive Jeff Zucker now terms a "dog and pony show."
Last year, $16 billion worth of ad time was sold during the network upfront, out of a total market of roughly $70 billion. But most of the big deals are now done behind closed doors with increasingly tough-minded media buyers that could care less about dancing celebrities.
And now that ad deals are based on commercial impact rather than just viewer numbers, the jig may finally be up. "From a commercial point of view, [the upfront presentations] are irrelevant," says one media agency director. "Great grandstanding displays are of little relevance to media buyers."
Recent Around the Net In Media Articles
-
TV Networks Concerned Over Nontraditional Competition May 21, 5:09 p.m.
The day has come when TV networks not only have to compete with fellow networks with ... -
New Media Replaces Old In New York's Times Square May 21, 5:09 p.m.
Yahoo, the giant Web company that agreed on Sunday to buy Tumblr for $1.1 billion, is moving ... -
A First: Pay TV Loses Subscribers May 21, 8:14 a.m.
Video subscriber gains in the first quarter of 2013 by top U.S. service providers were not ... -
In Address, 'N.Y. Times' CEO Hails Paywall Advance May 20, 3 p.m.
In a commencement address to business students at Columbia University, New York Times CEO Mark Thompson ... -
Amazon Changes Media Agencies May 20, 3 p.m.
Amazon awarded IPG’s Initiative its global media account, following a review. WPP’s Mindshare previously handled the ... -
Cable Increases VIewership Cross-Platform May 20, 10 a.m.
Tthe Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau reports increases in consumption of cable content and brands across multiple screens. ... -
Layoffs at BBDO, GSP May 17, 2:24 p.m.
Following the loss of substantial accounts, like Gillette and Chevrolet, BBDO and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners ... -
N.Y. Post Axing 10 Most Senior, HIghest Paid May 17, 2:24 p.m.
The New York Post stands to lose a sizable chunk of its longstanding institutional memory as newsroom employees ... -
Time Warner Cable May Take Stake In Hulu May 17, 9:59 a.m.
Time Warner Cable is considering taking an equity stake in online-video site Hulu LLC, according to ... -
White Houses Pushes For Media Shield Law May 16, 2:47 p.m.
Following the Justice Department’s subpoena to access the phone records of reporters at the Associated Press, ...
Be the first to comment on "Upfronts May Become Extinct "
Leave a Comment