Publishers have been less upfront with their announcements, but TV upfront week is finally taking shape—with NBCUniversal, Fox, and Netflix all setting dates.
NBCU made its announcement on Monday, with Mark Marshall, chairman, global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, posting a message on LinkedIn to share his thoughts on the value of the upfront and confirm NBCU was back in the annual advertising showcase.
According to Marshall, the company will once again kick off the week at Radio City Music Hall, with an event on Monday, May 12, at 10:30 a.m. The company will present its content against the backdrop of NBCU’s 100th anniversary in 2026, showcasing offerings such as Super Bowl LX, the NBA, BravoCon, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and more.
“When I think about the upfronts, I think about the content,” Marshall wrote. “And I believe that content matters more today than any other point in our history.”
The NBCU announcement comes much later than in recent years when the company regularly announced its upfront events in January or even December. However, according to a source familiar with the matter, the company felt a client letter closer to the event was a fresh take, especially with Marshall being able to share his thoughts on why the upfront was valuable.
Though NBCU’s news comes later than usual, other companies haven’t made big announcements at all.
ADWEEK has confirmed Netflix’s event will take place Wednesday, May 14, at the Perelman Performing Arts Center from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. However, the company hasn’t made a formal announcement since the day and time are the same as last year, according to a source familiar with the matter. Last year, the company also held a Netflix Experience event later in the week.
Meanwhile, ADWEEK has confirmed that Fox, which also hasn’t made a formal announcement, will have its event on Monday, May 12, at 4 p.m. at the Hammerstein Ballroom of the Manhattan Center.
Shaking up upfronts
Still, at least one publisher decided to make a big splash with its upfront announcement.
Amazon announced in January that it’s switching presentation days for its second year in upfront week. Rather than present on Tuesday morning, as it did in 2024, the company moved its event to Monday evening, May 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Beacon Theatre.