| NEWS 05.20.09 4:22 PM |
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ABC and NBC Share Tuesday of Upfront Week, Bring Out Comedians for Events
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 | Brian Williams, Amy Poehler, and Seth Meyers at NBC's Night of Comedy
Photo: Courtesy of NBC |
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With neither network committing to a full-on upfront, ABC and NBC split Tuesday this year, with one basically concluding festivities immediately following the presentation and the other just taking advantage of a critical mass of buyers by hosting a comedy event at Town Hall.
ABC's presentation got off to a late start—by almost a half hour—but attempted to keep the pitch from getting too dry by bringing out Jimmy Kimmel to lampoon the network and the upfronts. Twitter users inside Avery Fisher Hall got particularly frenzied when Kimmel told the audience, "Every year we lie to you and every year you come back for more." Some pondered if it was "professional suicide," but most chimed in to say Kimmel is their "favorite part of the ABC upfront every year." ABC also went a step beyond its competitors by screening an entire pilot at the conclusion of its spiel. The audience got a look at the first episode of the sitcom Modern Family.
The network stuck to its promise of modest entertaining again this year, with a few private dinners around Midtown, including one for more than 100 people at Center Cut, but few of those events went too late. NBC's Night of Comedy, it's only showing at Upfront Week after making presentations earlier in the month, kicked off at 9 p.m., treating an audience of 1,500 to performances by its comedic talent.
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Upfront Week, Upfronts, ABC, NBC |
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| EVENT REPORT 05.19.09 3:50 PM |
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Upfront Report Card: Solid Presentation and Ample Buffets Earn Fox a B
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 | More than 2,000 guests hit Fox's upfront reception
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
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It's Upfront Week—the television networks' annual series of sales pitches—and we're asking media buyers in attendance to grade the presentations and parties. Here's our first report.
Taking advantage of NBC’s decision to vacate its Monday night spot during Upfront Week, Fox moved its presentation up three days this year from its traditional Thursday slot. That move meant the network escaped fears that guests might skip the bash to leave town early for the long Memorial Day weekend, but it also halted the party's run as the end-of-the-week place to let off steam.
A crowd of more than 2,000 made the trip from Fox's presentation at the City Center to its Wollman Rink reception last night, where they posed for photos with network stars including Eliza Dushku, Kiefer Sutherland, and Wanda Sykes; grazed on ample buffets of sushi, pizza, and Mexican fare; and talked about an unusual smell that seemed to be lingering in the tent.
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Upfront Week, Upfronts, Fox, NBC |
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| NEWS 05.18.09 1:56 PM |
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In-Person Deals Keep Upfronts Afloat in Uncertain TV Industry
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 | NBC executives at New York's "infront" earlier this month
Photo: © NBC Universal Inc. |
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Today marks the start of the television networks’ annual Upfront Week, and though the industry has seen significant changes over the last few years, the practice of courting advertisers in person doesn’t look to be going anywhere.
“As long as media agencies and their clients are interested in gathering in one place for one week, the upfronts will continue to happen and be very important to this industry,” said Rick Haskins, executive vice president of marketing and brand strategy at the CW, who returned the network to its traditional Thursday presentation after an experiment with a cocktail party last year. “Going back to the old format just felt like the right thing to do this year.”
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Upfront Week, Upfronts, NBC, The CW |
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| NEWS 04.30.09 3:14 PM |
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Upfront Update: Who's Doing What During the TV Networks' Big Sales Week
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 | The 2008 Fox upfront party
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
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Cable upfront presentations have been under way since mid-March, but May heralds the arrival of the network presentations, with their heavy delegations of out-of-town media buyers and—when it suits them—some fairly elaborate parties. Upfront Week itself is little more than two weeks off, starting with Fox on Monday, May 18, and concluding Thursday, May 21, with the CW. Although events look to be subdued once again, they’re looking up from 2008.
Last year NBC sent the already W.G.A. strike-addled upfront schedule into a tizzy by abandoning its long-established Monday presentation and opting for a series of meetings in early April. Sort of sticking to its guns, the network is still meeting with buyers early, but not as early as last year. After a small pitch at this year’s Super Bowl, NBC’s big sell takes place next week in its 30 Rockefeller headquarters, with a series of meetings and conference calls on May 4.
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Upfronts, Upfront Week, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The CW, ESPN, Turner Entertianment, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim |
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| NEWS 04.08.09 11:19 AM |
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In the News: Geographers Map Hotbeds of Cultural Events, Upfronts Happening Earlier
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Geography Lessons for Cultural Events: A recent study of which neighborhoods receive the most buzz breaks down where film, television, music, art, and fashion events are happening in Los Angeles and New York. Professors at Columbia University and the University of Southern California conducted the research by mining pictures from events caught by Getty Images. The results show that even so-called hip neighborhoods like Los Angeles’ Silver Lake or New York’s Lower East Side can’t get out of the shadow of iconic locations such as the Sunset Strip or Times Square. [NYT]
Upfronts Well Under Way: Cable networks are holding upfront presentations further in advance. Telemundo, Discovery Networks, Nickelodeon, and ABC Family have already met with media buyers about the upcoming television year, and many think the channels are following the lead of NBC. The peacock network got a lot of attention last year for downsizing its presentation into a series of meetings and holding them more than a month ahead of the long established Upfront Week for the big four. This year’s upfront will be similarly structured but won’t take place as far in advance, bowing in New York May 4. [Adweek]
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General Motors, Segway, Upfronts, Upfront Week, NBC, 20th Century Fox, Wolverine |
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| EVENT REPORT 02.03.09 4:05 PM |
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More Super Bowl Shots: Events From NBC, NFL, Pepsi, and DirecTV
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 | Blake Lively at DirecTV's Celebrity Beach Bowl in St. Petersburg on Saturday
Photo: Getty Images |
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Following yesterday's coverage of some of the biggest parties surrounding the Super Bowl, here's a look at some more events, from big game broadcast network NBC, DirecTV, Pepsi, and the NFL.
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Super Bowl, NBC, N.F.L., DirecTV |
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| NEWS 01.30.09 12:09 PM |
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This Year's Upfront Week Falls Into Place, Starts at Super Bowl
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 | The 2008 Fox upfront party
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
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The economy and the television industry may not be in the most stable position at the start of 2009, but The Hollywood Reporter noted that this year's upfront sales pitches—slated for May 18 through 21 in New York—won't look much different from the pared down, more businesslike presentations seen during the 2008 Upfront Week.
NBC still plans to forgo its old presentation at Radio City Music Hall for intimate "in-front" meetings with advertisers in April, and there definitely won’t be a return of last year’s carnival-like “NBC Experience” at Rockefeller Plaza.
The network actually plans to get an early jump on advertiser wooing at this Sunday’s Super Bowl. "They would never show you programming," a media buyer told The Hollywood Reporter, referring to past sporting events where networks entertained buyers. "I think the NBC plan is smart because they have a larger percentage of clients at the Super Bowl than they would at the upfront."
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Upfront Week, Upfronts, CBS, NBC, The CW, ABC, Super Bowl |
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| NEWS 01.29.09 3:52 PM |
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Dreamworks Partners With Intel, NBC, and PepsiCo for 3D Super Bowl Marketing Stunt
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Teamwork doesn’t always pave the easiest road to success, but partnering a troupe of different brands for a high-profile marketing stunt can be efficient—and cost effective. That’s what Dreamworks did to distribute the 125 million pairs of glasses necessary for a 3D Super Bowl event to promote its new film, Monsters Vs. Aliens, this Sunday—while scratching the backs of partners like PepsiCo, Intel, and NBC.
The project hinges on the first-ever 3D commercial, a participatory film trailer during the game’s broadcast. “We wanted to do a stunt 90 days before the opening of the movie,” said Dreamworks head of marketing and consumer products Anne Globe, “and then we had the chance to use the biggest media event in the world.”
Dreamworks had already partnered with Intel to develop the technology for the 3D film, so enlisting the company to produce the glasses was a no-brainer, but finding the partner to distribute the glasses took a bit more thought.
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Dreamworks, NBC, NBC Universal, Intel, PepsiCo, SoBe Lifewater, Super Bowl |
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| NEWS 11.05.08 12:23 PM |
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Politicos and Media Outlets Celebrate Election Night With Outdoor Events and Candidate-Inspired Food
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 | A victorious donkey in Rockefeller Plaza
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash |
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The election may finally be over, but most New Yorkers are just starting to sober up to the reality of a new administration—and from all of the election viewing parties held throughout the city last night. Outdoor broadcasts from major networks NBC, ABC, and Fox News all turned into massive public events, while political organizations like the New York Young Republicans, the New York Democratic Committee, and Congressman Charles Rangel all held partisan rallies to watch the returns. Media outlets like The Washington Post, Slate, The New York Times, Glamour, and GQ even joined the celebrations with private and ticketed events set up in bars, restaurants, and other venues.
Based on crowd size alone, NBC News and MSNBC probably win for biggest party. The networks saturated their Rockefeller Plaza headquarters with red, white, blue, and NBC’s signature peacocks. Sponsor Liberty Mutual placed booths throughout the space where the throngs of onlookers to relax, while people dressed as elephants and donkeys posed for photos. The expectant crowd watched the blue and red banners race up the General Electric building towards the key 270 votes, and a full map of the United States displayed on the skating rink colored states red or blue when NBC News officially called them for either Obama or McCain.
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Election '08, The Washington Post, Slate Magazine, ABC, NBC, Fox News |
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| NEWS 11.04.08 1:33 PM |
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Networks Bank on Big Election Night With Outdoor Broadcasts
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Over the past two decades, election coverage on the major television networks has gradually moved from the newsroom to street-side studios and open-air stages. This year proves to be a culmination of sorts, with ABC, Fox News, and NBC all making a big push to incorporate the streets and people of New York into their national broadcasts.
ABC News takes over Good Morning America’s Times Square headquarters this evening, with reporters stationed outside, interacting with the public. In addition to using its own marquee screen above the studio, the network rented electronic signs from Reuters, Nasdaq, and the Hard Rock Cafe to broadcast live feeds of its coverage.
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Election '08, Barack Obama, John McCain, ABC, ABC News, NBC, CBS, CBS News, Fox, Fox News |
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