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Warner Bros. Discovery is in.
Top line
Today, Warner Bros. Discovery announced it will return to TV upfront week, presenting on May 15 at 10 a.m. at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Between the lines
According to the company, the event will showcase solutions across the suite of brands in its portfolio of streaming, linear and digital platforms, including Max, Food Network, CNN, HGTV, TBS, Discovery, TLC, Bleacher Report and Discovery+. And in addition to a live event, WBD will make the presentation available virtually.
“Warner Bros. Discovery has the strongest portfolio of networks, platforms and brands in the business, delivering unparalleled scale and reach,” Jon Steinlauf, WBD’s chief U.S. advertising sales officer, said in a statement. “Our groundbreaking technology provides standout, industry-leading opportunities to connect our clients with the tens of millions of valuable viewers who watch, stream and engage with our content daily.”
Steinlauf added that this year’s presentation will showcase the company’s “innovative advanced advertising solutions, as well as the Max streaming portfolio, which places brands alongside our award-winning series, films, live sports and breaking news.”
The company is set to release more details in the months ahead.
Bottom line
This year, upfront week returns aren’t a forgone conclusion.
Paramount publicly exited its decades-long upfront week stint at Carnegie Hall in 2023, opting for smaller client dinners instead. The company then touted successful upfront results, up low-to-mid single digits in dollar commitments.
Given Paramount’s success, it wasn’t known if others would follow suit. After all, WBD had to go with a star-less upfront presentation in 2023, with the Hollywood strikes keeping celebs away.
However, with the news, WBD—which also saw volume increases in the last upfront—appears to be staying put.
As Steinlauf told Adweek following the 2023 presentation, “Will we present in the upfront next year? Yes.”
In addition to WBD, upfront week presenters YouTube and Disney have also already announced 2024 plans.
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