Instead of a single big presentation--virtual or otherwise--Disney Advertising Sales is planning to use a series of 30-minute roadshow videos to make its pitch to media buyers and clients.
Disney's traditional Lincoln Center event, along with the other big upfront extravaganzas, were wiped out by the Coronavirus, which ruled out large gatherings and now has most media people working from home.
Rita Ferro
Disney is planning seven presentations during the weeks of May 25 and June 1--one for each of the six big media agency holding companies and one for clients that deal directly with Disney or work through smaller agencies.
The presentations will be tailored to each of the agencies, with talent from Disney programming acknowledging the buyer and clients in the room.
We want to make it a little bit more personal and intimate in terms of the conversation, said Rita Ferro, president of Disney Ad Sales.
The presentations will focus on how Disney created client solutions and will address how Disney worked with clients during the crisis and plans for continuing to grow partnerships, Ferro said.
Disney's Hulu unit will be a part of the presentations. Hulu will also have presentation during the Digital Content NewFronts the week of June 22.
Ferro at Disneys upfront last year.
Disney acquired control of Hulu last year and Hulu's head of ad sales, Peter Naylor left Hulu in April.
Ferro said that Hulu will be a part of clients ad packages in this year's upfront. We're going to do one deal, she said. We're looking at ways the Disney side can add value to how Hulu goes to market and really taking advantage of the innovative ad products and learnings on the Hulu said to help our addressable business on the Disney side.
Streaming has become a hot property, and Hulu is a leader in the ad supported streaming space, but Ferro sees clients making one premium video buy across all screens, which is good considering the quality and scale of Disney's content and distribution on all platforms. With Hulu, 35% to 40% of Disney's inventory is addressable, she notes.
How and when this year's upfront negotiations will take place are still to be determined.
I think the key this year is going to be flexibility in every sense of the word, Ferro said.
In terms of timing, Ferro noted that some companies are doing very well, and will want to move aggressively. We need to be able to do that now and move quickly, she said.
Other companies will need a little bit more time to figure out what the back half of the year looks like for them. We'll be ready whenever they are, she said.
And some will want to do calendar deals that run from January through December, instead of the broadcast year, which starts with the fourth quarter.
If that's what works for them, we'll be available to do that, said she. We just need to have that open-mindedness and flexibility.
Right now, advertisers are considering whether or not to exercise their options not to buy the third-quarter advertising they committed to buy in the last upfront. Ferro said clients are already asking till the end of the month to exercise those options, and Disney is granting those postponements. So far, options have been better than expected, but it's still early, she said.
There was clearly a rush to adjust campaigns and schedules and everything at the beginning of all of this six to eight weeks ago. I think what you see now is clients trying to re-engage in terms of what their business looks like as things are starting to turn on, she said.
Some clients that moved out of the second quarter early in the crisis are looking to come back, she added.
Disney can certainly sympathize with businesses that have been affected by the pandemic. Disney's first quarter earnings were pounded as its parks and movie business were shut down by the virus. I understand holistically as a media partner because I sit in a company that's been highly disrupted. We understand what they're dealing with because we're dealing with it too, Ferro said.
In some ways the innovations that companies made to keep their businesses afloat during the crisis--including using more real-time data and shortening supply chains, has Ferro encouraged. I'm excited about what the future is going to be, but I'm not closing my eyes to the hard reality of what the impact has been to our clients.
Will this year's approach to the upfront mean a different way of doing business next year? Ferro said it was too early to speculate.
We're always open to any opportunity to look at things differently, she said.
But Ferro noted that clients spend a lot of their ad dollars on sports and with NFL and college football starting in the fall, the traditional upfront schedule might give clients a good opportunity to look at the sports budgets in the context of their overall marketing plans.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and gaming, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
Instead of a single big presentation--virtual or otherwise--Disney Advertising Sales is planning to use a series of 30-minute roadshow videos to make its pitch to media buyers and clients.
