Turner Champions Industry Movement to Think Different, Challenge Status Quo at 2018 Upfront Tuesday, May 15, 2018 Share:
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For additional show information, photos and videos, visit the Turner Upfront newsroom.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Turner Champions Industry Movement to Think Different,
Challenge Status Quo at 2018 Upfront
Stars and Executives Underscore the Value of Fan-Focused Partnerships -- Powered by Premium Omnichannel Content Experiences and Innovative Advertising Solutions, including a New Brand Studio, Turner Ignite Studios
Global entertainment, sports and news content leader Turner took the stage at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City this morning to urge the industry to move beyond business as usual and take advantage of omnichannel experiences driven by fans.
The show was punctuated with examples of how Turner's premium entertainment, news and sports brands -- including Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, CNN, TBS, TNT, truTV and Turner Sports -- are creating multiplatform franchises that transcend traditional television models and deliver unprecedented levels of true engagement, not just passive viewership, for marketers to tap into.
Within the past couple of weeks, Turner announced two partnerships that illustrate the company's mission of delivering content to fans across all screens, in all environments and spanning all experiences:
Adult Swim announced a long-term deal for Rick and Morty -- the #1 comedy in 2017 with millennials -- which includes a massive 70 new episodes for the critically-acclaimed, multi-platform sensation.
TBS and Conan O'Brien announced an expanded partnership spanning television, digital, social and live events that will enable the late-night icon to capitalize and interact with his multi-generational fan base across platforms. After 25 years on television and having amassed a deeply passionate and engaged fan base through the nightly show, travel specials, digital content, live events and fan interactions, Team Coco and TBS will take Conan's enduring brand of comedy to his fans wherever they are. Team Coco will continue to develop industry-leading branded linear and digital content, further strengthening the relationships between O'Brien's comedic brand and advertising partners as new talent comes into the fold.
Turner has invested in omnichannel experiences across the portfolio: truTV's Impractical Jokers has jumped out of the TV screen and has extended into digital, social, live events and, soon, a feature film; ELEAGUE continues to break streaming records and engages hard-to-reach young audiences; TBS's Samantha Bee has become an Emmy-winning, multi-platform powerhouse by blowing up the traditional late-night format; the Inside the NBA guys continue to drive the conversation that transcends the traditional sports studio show and has become a pop culture phenomenon with both the uber and casual sports fan; and, so many more examples. We've made these investments because we know the value and importance to engage with fans. It's no longer enough to just have viewers - you need fans, said David Levy, president of Turner.
We are in a new era of media and its time to retire the Nielsen television metric. While it undoubtedly served its purpose, it no longer fully captures how to successfully measure an audience in todays landscape. Turner has pioneered innovations, such as audience targeting, that more effectively align a brand's messaging with audiences that directly impact their business. Audience targeting works and is generating drastically greater results for our advertising and marketing partners. The time is now -- this upfront -- for advertisers to change how they think about the value of their marketing and invest in audience targeting!
Throughout a 90-minute presentation featuring Turner executives and special guest talent, attendees were provided a peek into a number of content initiatives the company has planned for 2018 and 2019 across its portfolio.
Adult Swim continues to be the #1 cable destination for young adults with one-of-a-kind programming -- including a greenlit pilot of Three Busy Debras, produced by Amy Poehler's Paper Kite productions, as well as a new Harvey Birdman special featuring the original voice cast -- and innovative and immersive fan experiences, such as Adult Swim on the Green, the Rickmobile tour and the upcoming Adult Swim Festival in October.
Previously announced, Cartoon Network will be debuting its largest slate of content ever from a new wave of creators telling stories that are relevant and reflective of todays kids.
CNN touted the addition of six new Original Series to debut in 2019, adding to its successful portfolio of premium, nonfiction programming.
Over the last three-and-a-half years, TBS and TNT have been consistently introducing original series in the top 5 of their genre, including TNT's The Alienist (#1 new series on cable) and TBS's The Last O.G. (#1 comedy in on cable).
This year, TNT will be expanding its storytelling repertoire with Ridley Scott Presents, a collection of sci-fi series from the master of the genre, and a new franchise, The Suspense Collection, that launches with the Patty Jenkins-directed limited series mystery One Day She'll Darken (working title) and Tell Me Your Secrets, an intense thriller starring Amy Brenneman and Lily Rabe.
The ongoing critical-acclaim, award-recognition and standout success of TBS's programming has cemented its status as the #1 comedy network on TV. The network announced series renewals of 11 original shows, including The Last O.G., the biggest cable comedy launch in four years and the biggest comedy on cable this year.
Four years out from its emergence as a comedy net
