This 12 months, it’s not your typical upfront week: Paramount is out, Netflix and YouTube are in—and a number of legacy media corporations are altering venues.
Nonetheless, by way of all of it, NBCUniversal has stayed steadfast. On Might 15, the corporate will as soon as once more kick off upfront week with a presentation at Radio Metropolis Music Corridor.
“Clearly, there have been numerous modifications. However not solely will we love Radio Metropolis, I believe our shoppers have cherished it,” Mark Marshall, president, promoting gross sales and shopper partnerships, instructed Adweek. “So whereas different issues have modified alongside the way in which, we love being the leadoff man for the week, so we’re excited.”
Moreover the upfront week presenter and venue modifications, this 12 months’s occasion will even probably be impacted by the continuing Writers Guild of America strike, which is in its second week. Barring a last-minute settlement, the strike will carry protesters to the streets exterior NBCU’s presentation, very similar to it did for Peacock’s NewFronts occasion final week.
It stays to be seen how the strike—which is predicted to be prolonged—will affect negotiations or upfront week displays, since celebrities could also be cautious of crossing picket strains. Although Marshall didn’t go into specifics about potential results, the advert gross sales president assured, “NBCU may have an especially highly effective upfront present and will nonetheless have nice expertise taking part.”
NBCU CEO Jeff Shell’s beautiful ouster final month is one other problem looming over the corporate’s upfront plans. Nonetheless, an NBCU spokesperson beforehand instructed Adweek that the previous CEO probably wasn’t going to play a significant function on this 12 months’s occasion anyway, with Marshall; Linda Yaccarino, chairman of worldwide promoting and partnerships; and Susan Rovner, chairman, leisure content material, NBCUniversal Tv and Streaming, already set to run the present.
Amid Shell’s absence from the upfront occasion and this 12 months’s negotiations, the corporate is “forging forward,” stated Marshall. “We now have a senior management staff that’s been collectively for greater than a decade, and so we can be shifting ahead, and we’re excited in regards to the management, the expertise and content material that now we have right here in NBCU.”
The advert gross sales and partnerships president—who can be overseeing upfront negotiations solo following an advert gross sales staff restructuring in February—stated he’s “excited to be on the market” to inform the corporate’s story at Radio Metropolis.
