Upfronts week only comes once a year, but the memories will last forever.
Our team once again had the pleasure of covering media companies’ biggest pitches to the advertising world, and there were plenty of highlights—and lowlights. Across the star-studded performances, stand-up routines, and celebrity appearances, there were plenty of memorable moments.
We rounded up some of our favorite (and least-favorite) moments from the week below.
The highs
Getting Heated: Warner Bros. Discovery execs know that even ad buyers love Heated Rivalry—we spotted some upfront attendees taking pictures with the show’s poster before and after the presentation. So it’s no surprise the company started the morning with two of the show’s stars, Francois Arnaud and Robbie Graham-Kuntz, and spelled out how the company’s entertainment properties dominate culture. Later in the show, execs ribbed buyers on being among the many who “wants a piece figuratively and literally” of the show’s stars. Truer words have perhaps never been spoken.
Holding a tune: Singer Kacey Musgraves took to the Amazon upfront to perform her hits “Dry Spell” and “Butterflies”; Disney treated attendees to a three-song Olivia Rodrigo set featuring “drop dead,” “good 4 u,” and “get him back!”; and Chappell Roan closed out the week at YouTube’s Brandcast with “Good Luck, Babe!,” “HOT TO GO!,” “The Subway,” and “Pink Pony Club.” All in all, a steal for marketers who would have otherwise had to spend thousands on concert tickets.
Dog days: At Netflix, which will host this year’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, three champion dogs trotted around the crowd in their best—and cutest—form. And earlier in the day at Warner Bros. Discovery, some of the Puppy Bowl stars made an onstage appearance before attendees were encouraged to consider adopting a pup in need of a good home. Thanks, we’ll take five.
Joke’s on you: It wouldn’t be upfronts week without some late-night comedians taking swings at their employers, the ad world, and the general state of things—and comedians including Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel didn’t hold back. “Usually for ABC to pull you off the air, you have to throw a chair at your Mormon boyfriend,” Kimmel said, referencing both the reason why the latest season of ABC’s The Bachelorette was cancelled and the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live. We rounded up some of our favorite jokes from the week here.
The lows
Song and dance: Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers of Las Culturistas fame kicked off NBCUniversal’s upfront with plenty of great jokes—but were then tasked with singing and dancing to a parody version of “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars, with the lyrics changed to “Ads on NBC. And Peacock, Peacock.” Sorry, but, I don’t think so, honey.
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Fake out: At the Javits Center, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hit the Disney upfront stage, bringing out Monday Night Football commentator Joe Buck. Buck made a show of giving Goodell a big hug hello, poking fun at college players who hug the commissioner at the NFL Draft. It’s kind of endearing when young draftees do it. Less so when it’s two grown men embracing each other to sell ads.
Kick the habit: At the Fox upfront, former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski bounced a soccer ball into the crowd, reminding us of when Gronk didn’t catch a pass from his former QB Tom Brady at Fox’s presentation last year, and Brady’s throw hit an audience member instead. Tennis legend Billie Jean King hit tennis balls into the crowd at the Disney upfront, a perhaps safer projectile in terms of size, but another reminder that attendees must stay vigilant during these things—or risk getting a bruise to more than just their ego.
Anywhere but here: Sometimes you can tell the stars are contractually obligated to make appearances on the upfronts stage, and none were more obviously less-than-thrilled to be there than Pete Davidson. At Netflix’s event, the comedian was supposed to read some lines from a teleprompter about his video podcast, The Pete Davidson Show, and strayed from the script several times to point out exactly how corny the whole thing was. The antics may have made the room laugh, but his ending, which did not appear on the teleprompter? “I am going to commit suicide.”…Yikes!
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