A+E Turns Brands Into Lifetime Movies as It Looks to Compete in Upfront Pitch

A+E is getting out in front of the upfront pitches.

Today, a year after rebranding from A+E Networks to A+E Global Media, the company is back with one of the year’s first upfront pitches, delivering a virtual presentation to clients that introduced a new brand creative studio, deeper relationships with talent and creators, and an expanded content slate across A&E, The History Channel, Lifetime, Home.Made.Nation, and VICE TV.

“Last year, we introduced A+E Global Media to reflect the full depth and breadth of who we are: a multi-faceted global media and entertainment company, reflected in the strength and scale of our content, talent, and global platforms’ reach,” Paul Buccieri, president and chairman, A+E Global Media, said. “Today, we are continuing to evolve on that foundation—delivering distinctive programming across the most popular genres and on every screen.”

Heading into his second time leading the A+E upfront, Toby Byrne, president of A+E Media Solutions, said one of the priorities is to lean into long-term relationships with advertisers and to pair creators and programming with brands, as the company did when creating Lifetime movies for Chili’s and global biopharma company GSK.

“Chili’s and GSK are two of our most recent collaborations, and we think there’s an opportunity to do more,” Byrne said. “It’s a complicated marketplace, and there is so much optionality, but we’re going to focus on the value we can deliver our clients in environments that they prefer.”

Following the success of Chili’s and GSK Lifetime movies, A+E is continuing to lean into making brands into content through a new brand studio, Storyground.

The new studio will produce bespoke, creative executions for brands across linear, digital, and social media. It will also help connect brands to creators through a new creator ambassador program, which is starting on Lifetime and History, according to Juliana Stock, president of marketing and digital, A+E Global Media.

“It’s going to span marketing, digital, and sales initiatives with creators leading broader brand storytelling across their social platforms,” Stock said. “We really enjoy working with creators because they’re very innovative, they have fans and followers that are important prospects to us, and they’re candid and prioritize authenticity.”

Heading into 2026, A+E is offering a diverse programming lineup, including traditional and alternative media, with major talent such as Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Valerie Bertinelli, Toni Braxton, Queen Latifah, Taraji P. Henson, Derek Jeter, and more.

Among the shows in its content slate, The History Channel will feature several programs, including History’s Strange Fortunes with Kevin Bacon, Extraordinary Origins with Ted Danson, and Mistakes That Made America, a digital-first offering that examines blunders that reshaped the United States.

Meanwhile, Lifetime will dabble in microdramas with the vertical series Tides of Temptation. That will join more traditional movies like Angel in the Rubble, starring Sherri Shepherd, and Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise with You, starring Taye Diggs.

Among the other highlights, A&E will showcase projects such as K9 PD with Jim Belushi and documentary Scott Peterson: The New Evidence. Plus, Home.Made.Nation will have 150 hours of new and returning series, and VICE TV will add 300 hours of new content.

Byrne explained that, in addition to focusing on outcomes and transacting on whatever currency clients prefer, A+E is looking to bring brands to the platforms where viewers are, with more than half of A+E impressions coming outside of linear.

“When you take advantage of that full reach, it has great impact with a price point and cost of entry that is manageable, certainly relative to the big sports,” Byrne said. “It’s a reasonable investment. It’s a lot of impact. It’s efficient media, and we stand behind it by guaranteeing results.”

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