Disney Advertising said it plans to hold a big event to close out its upfront process at New York’s Javits Center on the Tuesday of upfront week, May 16.
Last year, Disney held an upfront event downtown at Basketball City on PIer 36.
Disney says the event will show off its array of entertainment and sports programming. It also said ABC late-night star Jimmy Kimmel is expected to return to New York to roast network executives and media buyers. Kimmel gave his spiel virtually last year because he tested positive for COVID.
With the evolution in the TV industry and the changes in the advertising business, there have been some changes in the way media companies are handling the upfront.
Also: Goodbye Carnegie Hall: Another Sign the Broadcast Era Is Ending
Most notably, CBS parent Paramount Plus gave up its traditional spot at Carnegie Hall in favor of what it called smaller, more intimate dinners. Netflix swooped in and said it would stage an event during CBS’s Wednesday evening time slot at New York’s Paris Theater, which it manages.
NBCUniversal will be returning to Radio City Music Hall for its upfront on Monday, May 15. ■
