Broadcast Nets Hustle to Avoid Being Upfront Weak
22/05/2018
And just like that, another Upfront Week has come and gone. Presentations were made, deals were discussed, and hors d'oeuvres and a thousand new show trailers were consumed.
What stood out as the broadcast networks showed their stuff from the stages of baroque Manhattan theaters? Two standing ovations, for one. The U.S. women's hockey team, which won the gold in Korea, turned up at the NBC presentation at Radio City Music Hall, and a standing O ensued.
A few days later, CBS Corp. chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves strolled on stage at Carnegie Hall. It had been a rough week for Moonves, battling with Shari Redstone of National Amusements over the future of CBS.
So how's your week been? Moonves said, as the crowd rose to its feet.
The Good Stuff
First, the moments we enjoyed. Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show on CBS, had some fun at his network's expense. CBS has some of the most exciting legal dramas, said Colbert. And some great TV shows.
Anchors don't really have that Voice of God anymore, but Neil deGrasse Tyson does. Yes, that was deGrasse Tyson, heard on the loudspeaker just before the Fox upfront, the Cosmos host telling the Beacon gathering to take their seats and hold onto their tickets for the party after.
Gary Newman and Dana Walden, chairmen and CEOs of Fox Television Group, repeated the phrase New Fox a number of times as they presented. New Fox is a whole lot better than another phrase kicking around to represent the slimmed down, post-Disney acquisition Fox: the stub. Even deGrasse Tyson talking about the stub isn't likely to make that sound any better.
Jared Leto kicking off The CWs upfront with his band Thirty Seconds to Marz
The band Thirty Seconds to Mars did a fine job kicking off the The CW upfront show at New York City Center. It's a tough gig for rock bands you're on at 11 a.m., and you play two songs. The group's singer is Jared Leto, who starred in My So-Called Life.
Leto acknowledged the challenging setting. If you wanna get a little crazy, it's up to you, he told the crowd. But I know you have your suits on.
Jokes about NBC's Chicago shows never get old. Seth Meyers, host of Late Night, started it off at the NBCU presentation. NBC, he said, stands for Nothing But Chicago.
Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC, also took a jab at the Dick Wolf shows at the ABC upfront presentation at Lincoln Center. Chica-Go to another f---ing city already! he said, making the point that Denver, for one, has a bunch of firefighters that might make for a promising series.
Kimmel is always a breath of fresh air as he tears apart the upfronts. Of Monday's proceedings, he said, NBC gave you jazz hands, perhaps a reference to NBC's World of Dance performance, and Fox gave you JAZ Pods, commercial breaks with fewer ads.
Ben Sherwood, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney/ABC Television Group, also got laughs when he told the crowd they're in luck if they're playing a drinking game based on how many times ABC execs say Roseanne. You're welcome, he added.
The Not So Good Stuff"La
"Last Man Standing" star Tim Allen at Foxs upfront
The lesser highlights of the week included Tim Allen, star of Last Man Standing, doing standup at the Fox event. Said The NewYork Times, He did a standup routine to absolute silence. You could hear the shopping carts rolling down the aisles at Fairway across the street.
Another weak stab at comedy is having talent recite industry jargon with a straight face. We saw this trite ploy at most of the presentations, while CBS did it twice. John Malkovich was in a video where he was forced to do the CBS upfront show after losing a poker game with Moonves. What the f--- is addressable TV? he wondered.
Malkovich later spoke with Kelly Kahl, CBS entertainment president, and Thom Sherman, senior executive VP of programming. He mentioned walled gardens and the advertising ecosystem.
No one talks like this, Malkovich said.
Later, Stephen Colbert brought up virtual MVPDs. Does anyone know what that means? he said.
And we're not big fans of those really long upfront presentations. For the record, NBCU's ran two hours and 12 minutes, ABC's was an hour and 50 minutes, CBS and Fox were 90 minutes, and The CW was a lean 50 minutes including the Thirty Seconds to Mars set.
WHY THIS MATTERS: There were hits and misses as the big networks put their best feet forward during Upfront Week.
And just like that, another Upfront Week has come and gone. Presentations were made, deals were discussed, and hors d'oeuvres and a thousand new show trailers were consumed.Subscribe for full article
Member Exclusive
Get Access to Our Exclusive Content
Learn MoreAlready subscribed?Log In
LINK: | https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/broadcast-nets-hustle-to-avoid-... |
See more stories from bandc |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award Brie Clayton May 3, 2024 0 Comments Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear Brie Clayton May 3, 2024 0 Comments By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
The Business of TV News: Shannon Bream Singles Out Key Issue in 2024 Election
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
ABC News Anchor Martha Raddatz Says Local News Is Everything'
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Paramount Stock Jumps on Report of $26 Billion Bid From Sony Pictures and Apollo Global
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS Shares 2024-2025 Schedule
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Fubo Continues To Reduce Red Ink Despite Losing 110,000 Subs in Q1
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart Ready to Release 4K Hybrid Streaming/Smart Speaker
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Limecraft updates content delivery platform
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security By Matthew Corrigan Published: May 3, 2024 Enha...
03/05/2024
Sony and Apollo submit $26 billion bid for Paramount Global
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company By Jenny Priestley Published: M...
03/05/2024
Global Academy launches Manchester media school
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
New Lightbridge C-Move Core
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
KPBS Modernizes Infrastructure With Major AES67 Control R...
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
SmallHD Free PageOS 6 Update Adds Powerful New Capabiliti...
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD Launches Quantum 32 Quantum Dot OLED HDR Referenc...
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
How WePlay Studios is Transforming the Future of Live Eve...
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagis Latest FAST Report Unveils the Rise of a Diverse G...
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
WDR Filmhaus to Implement Riedel Infrastructure
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
TF1 Chooses Broadpeak to Power Targeted Advertising for N...
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Limecraft Announces New Platform Update and Preview of MI...
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Prism Sound Announces Partners For 8 Hours At Rockfield 2...
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor brings excellence in contribution streaming to MP...
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Reports 10 Percent Revenue Growth in EMEA Region
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Introduces Field-Upgradable Motorisation Kit for...
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
LiveU Showcases Story-Centric Workflows and the LiveU Eco...
Visit LiveU at Stand D30 With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content appoints Koldo Unanue as new CEO to boost t...
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Fubo, Dish, DirecTV & Others Urge Congress to Probe New Sports Streaming JV
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
Brightcove Integrates AWS-Powered Generative AI Solution
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
CBS Claims 16th Straight Prime Time Viewing Title
NEW YORK CBS has declared that it will finish the 2023-24 season as Americas Most-Watched Network in primetime for the 16th consecutive season....
03/05/2024
Survey: U.S. Business and Consumers Plan to Increase Tech Spending
A new survey indicates that U.S. businesses and consumers had an overall positive attitude towards their technology spending plans in the first quarter of 2024,...
03/05/2024
Sony, Apollo Make $26B Bid for Paramount
Sony and Apollo Global Management have sent an offer letter to Paramount Global's board of directors making an $26 billion all cash offer for Paramount Glob...
03/05/2024
EMG / Gravity Media Grow Executive Team
EMG / Gravity Media has appointed Charlie Cubbon chief operating officer (COO) and Jamie Hindhaugh regional CEO for the U.K., U.S., Australia and the Middle Eas...
03/05/2024
WRAL-TV Brain Game Producer Randy Mews Wraps Season Taping Before Retirement
Final 2024 Season Games to Air Saturdays on WRAL at 10:30am in May, Championship on June 1 Taping for the final episodes of the 2024 season of WRAL-TV's Br...
03/05/2024
Estrella MediaCo Launches FAST Channels With Curiosity (NewFronts)
Estrella MediaCo said it is expanding its connected TV portfolio by launching three new channels with Curiosity that will first appear on Samsung TV Plus....
03/05/2024
SAG-AFTRA Will Use Nielsen Streaming Data To Enforce New Contract Terms
Nielsen said that actors' union SAG-AFTRA has selected Nielsen as its third-party provider of streaming content measurement....
03/05/2024
Cineverse Moves AI Content Search Tool cineSearch Into Public Beta
Cineverse said it has released a public beta version of cineSearch, its artificial intelligence-based system designed to help users find content to watch....
03/05/2024
Court TV To Debut Season 2 Of Accomplice To Murder May 5
Court TV said that its series Accomplice to Murder with Vinnie Politan is returning for a second season beginning May 5....
03/05/2024
Paramount Advertising Taps Mastercard, EDO for Attribution
Paramount Advertising said it is working with Mastercard and research and analytics company EDO to measure the impact of advertising campaigns and improve their...
03/05/2024
The Business of TV News: How To Grow Local Programming Without Burning Out Staffers, Viewers
WASHINGTON The panel The Growth of Local Programming happened at The Busines...
03/05/2024
Katz Media Group Names Craig Broitman President
Katz Media Group said that Craig Broitman will become president of the company, succeeding Leo MacCourtney, who announced that he is retiring effective July 1....
03/05/2024
MeTV Toons To Debut This Summer
MeTV Toons, the latest digital broadcast network from Weigel Broadcasting, will debut June 25, Weigel vice chairman Neal Sabin said at a virtual press conferenc...
03/05/2024
Tshepo Matlala discusses his class clown role in Youngins'
Tshepo Matlala discusses his class clown role in Youngins'Breakout star Tshepo Matlala portrays fan-favourite character Tshepo Masemola, who is the class c...
03/05/2024
May 02, 2024
TIME100 Health list features Scripps Research Executive Vice President Eric Topol New list honors 100 individuals who most influenced global health in 2024. M...
02/05/2024
Reality Slips Away in the Eerie I Saw the TV Glow
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 18: Jane Schoenbrun introduces the 2024 Sundance Film Festival I Saw the TV Glow premiere at the Library Center Theatre in Park City...
02/05/2024
Meet the 10 Hampton University Students Receiving Spotify NextGen's Scholarship
Spotify is committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups, and th...
02/05/2024
Advertisers and Creators Come Together at Our First-Ever Spotify Sparks in London
With more than 600 million users around the world tuned in to Spotify, there'...
02/05/2024
Gear up for the 2024 Cycling Grand Tours on Australia's Home of Cycling, SBS
Gear up for the 2024 Cycling Grand Tours on Australia's Home of Cycling, SBS Media releases All of the rivalry begins with the Giro d'Italia this we...
02/05/2024
New SBS documentary dives into one of Australia's greatest underdog stories of all time!
New SBS documentary dives into one of Australia's greatest underdog stories ...