• by Barry Lowenthal , Op-Ed Contributor, Yesterday

The upfront has long been a cornerstone of media buying — and for good reason. It guarantees access to premium inventory, especially around live events that command national attention. Sports, award shows, and tentpole cultural moments continue to deliver reliable reach at scale. That has not changed.

What has changed is what happens after those events. 

Today's consumer does not just watch. They engage, search, share, and move. A moment on TV sparks a wave of activity across digital platforms.

Conversations continue long after the credits roll. Brands that show up for the live, primetime moment are only capturing part of the opportunity.

The rest depends on how well they stay in the conversation.

Cultural Interest Doesn't End Once An Event Has Wrapped

Connected TV has expanded what's possible in terms of how and when we reach audiences. People aren't watching on a schedule, they are consuming content across various devices and platforms in their own pockets of time.

This has made mass audience events like live sports even more valuable — but also more fleeting.

A brand that appears during the Oscars, for example, benefits from the scale of the event.

But the real potential comes the next day, when audiences start exploring the fashion trends, Googling the winners, or watching behind-the-scenes content.

Moments of mass attention spark waves of secondary interest. A key play in a playoff game drives conversation around a player's career. A speech at an award show revives interest in a cause.

These are not static events. They are dynamic signals that brands can follow in real time.

That attention can be tracked. It can be acted on. And with the right tools, it can be used to extend the campaign's relevance well beyond the original broadcast.

Artificial intelligence has opened up the ability to source audiences based on the content they are interacting with in real-time, enabling marketers to adjust messaging and targeting on connected TV while those signals are still fresh.

Real-time intent modeling also enables brands to stay top of mind around trending themes well after an event has ended — moving from a single media placement to an omnichannel, evolving campaign that mirrors how people actually consume and respond to content today.

CombiningFixed And Flexible

The upfront is the best way to secure presence in high-demand inventory. But value is maximized when access to this inventory is paired with media strategies that account for what happens after the event ends.

This isn't about replacing long-term planning, but strengthening a brand's strategy to ensure the message they deliver in a live broadcast is not the end of the story. It's the beginning of a longer conversation, guided by how people are reacting and what they care about in the moment.

The best media plans today combine fixed and flexible. They secure cultural relevance in advance, then adapt based on how culture unfolds. CTV makes this possible.

AI makes it effective. Brands that embrace both will not only show up during the biggest moments — they’ll stay relevant long after the curtain falls.