| A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM DIRECTV ADVERTISING |
| Special Upfronts Edition Presented by DIRECTV |
| The 2026 Upfronts are here, and the media business has a lot on its mind — buyers want receipts, sellers are doubling down on live sports and prestige TV, and AI has firmly planted itself in the room where campaign decisions get made. Celebrities still show up too, because nothing sells a room quite like a familiar face. Sure, the economy is a little wobbly and viewers keep changing the rules, but media companies are heading into this year’s presentations with a clear pitch: we’ve got the scale, the cultural heat, and the performance to back it all up.
Cynopsis will be on the ground through Wednesday — catch each day’s highlights in our special afternoon Upfronts report.
First up on Monday was NBCUniversal, returning to Radio City Music Hall. Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers of the podcast “Las Culturistas” opened the two-hour presentation with a song-and-dance number, and NBC’s 100th anniversary was a running theme — classic clips, “Howdy Doody” throwbacks, and Tina Fey announcing the upcoming birthday special “NBC 100.” (“Am I faithful to a network I deeply love or a ghost who cannot leave NBC property?” mused Fey.”)
NBCU Chairman of Global Advertising & Partnerships Mark Marshall unveiled new tech launching in Q4. Among the updates: NBCU’s Performance Insights Hub will be fully available later this year, providing buyers with outcomes-based measurement from providers including Dynata, EDO, VideoAmp, iSpot and Kochava, among others. NBCU is also expanding its contextual advertising capabilities over the course of the next few months.
As for programming, NBC has ordered a show based on the New York Times game Wordle, with Jimmy Fallon executive producing, and “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, an avid Wordle devotee, stepping in as host. Also on the way is a “civilian” version of “The Traitors.”
Tapping into another craze, Peacock is debuting two Bravo original unscripted microdramas this summer. “Salon Confessionals With Madison LeCroy” centers on a “Southern Charm” star, while “Campus Confidential: Miami” features Georgia Gay, daughter of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Heather Gay.
Clips of Peacock shows included drama “The Five Star Weekend,” arriving July 9; “Friday the 13th” sequel series “Crystal Lake,” debuting October 15; and crime drama “The Good Daughter,” coming November 12. But the biggest news was a live-action series adaptation of the “Fast & Furious” in development, announced by the movie’s star, Vin Diesel, who will serve as executive producer.
Andy Cohen was on hand to share Bravo updates (and hop into a time machine — the “Real Housewives” franchise is 20!). “Real Housewives of Rhode Island” landed an early renewal, and new spinoff “Vanderpump Rules: Las Vegas,” as well as “Secrets, Lies, Texas Wives” (w/t) are on deck.
Versant, which was spun off from NBCUniversal in January, made its presence felt at the event. Hosts from MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” and CNBC’s “Squawk Box” took the stage, with Mika Brzezinski touting growing viewership, and Joe Scarborough explaining how to pronounce the company’s name (“Ver-SAHNT”). On the programming front, Oxygen is set to debut “Snapped: Rich Bitch Rampage” and the working-titled “Killer DNA With Maury Povich,” while E! is lining up the reality series “The Golden Life” and bringing back “The People’s Choice Awards.”
After a slew of celebs — Jennifer Garner, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tea Leoni (who giggled through her speech and we want to know why) and Steve Buscemi were just a few of the stars to take the stage — Seth Meyers closed the event with a zinger: “NBC is turning 100 years old … which means, right now, it’s watching CBS.” |
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| A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM DIRECTV ADVERTISING |
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| This Upfront season, advertisers aren’t just asking where audiences are — they’re asking whether their investments are actually working. Alison Levin, President of Advertising & Partnerships at NBCUniversal, makes the case that the answer lies in live events, iconic franchises, and the technology to tie it all to real business outcomes.
What do you think is the most significant trend this Upfront season?
In today’s media landscape, marketers need partners who can deliver both broad reach and deep engagement, making scale more critical than ever.
That’s what sets NBCUniversal apart — bringing together the industry’s most powerful live events, iconic franchises, and premium storytelling across every platform. These are the moments audiences don’t just watch – they anticipate, experience, talk about and build communities around.
And because our ecosystem delivers ad-supported scale, brands can uniquely connect with consumers — wherever they are — at every stage of the funnel, from awareness and consideration to inspired action. Premium video continues to be one of the most effective growth drivers in marketing, and advertisers need to prioritize partners who can deliver both cultural impact and measurable outcomes.
How have your Upfront priorities shifted compared to last year?
As always, our focus is on helping clients take full advantage of our extraordinary runway of opportunity to build meaningful, lasting connections with our audiences. Our company is entering yet another exciting period in our history with NBC’s 100th milestone anniversary, the return of the FIFA World Cup™ in Spanish language on Telemundo, and the road to the LA28 Games, alongside the everyday power of our entertainment, news, sports, and unscripted franchises like Bravo.
What will define a “successful” Upfront season in 2026?
Success for us is defined by the impact we create for our partners and that means helping brands do more than simply secure inventory. It means building smarter, deeper partnerships that connect them to the audiences, communities, and cultural moments that matter most.
A big part of that is now having the tools to prove what has been long known — premium content is performant. Today we are in a place that allows us to give premium video the credit it deserves and demonstrate that brand building and performance aren’t separate strategies, they’re deeply interconnected.
When brands can clearly see the results of their investment and become part of these culturally resonant moments, that’s a successful Upfront. |
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| A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM DIRECTV ADVERTISING |
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| Canela Media made moves at its Upfront lunch at AVRA today. The multicultural media company unveiled Zully, a vertical micro-series app launching this fall that blends AI-powered and live-action originals into short-form, mobile-first content. For brands, it’s a direct line to premium storytelling — custom micro-series, integrated ad solutions, and 100% share of voice.
Also on the table: Canela Audience Solutions (CAS), offering deterministic first-party data across the full ad ecosystem — CTV, digital, retail media, social. Advertisers can activate CAS audiences across all of it, direct or programmatic, with broad SSP connectivity backing it up.
Canela also dropped new proprietary research: its Culture Cohorts Study maps six distinct cultural segments across its ecosystem, giving brands a sharper lens on today’s U.S. Hispanic audience. And with the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, Canela is going all-in — original content, creator-led social, Club Canela challenges, and cross-platform storytelling built for fans. |
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| A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM DIRECTV ADVERTISING |
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| With Canela Media is entering the Upfront season with a fully integrated stack — premium content, proprietary first-party data, and a first-of-its-kind rewards platform —Global President Philippe Guelton says the pitch to brands has never been cleaner.
What are you most excited about presenting this year?
What I’m most excited about is how our programming and ad solutions are now fully integrated to bring precision, scale, and accountability to every campaign. We’re presenting premium, culture-driven content including originals, pop culture moments, and sports, alongside Canela Audience Solutions, our proprietary first-party deterministic data platform built on real viewing behavior and powered by 400 million devices and 35 million Canela IDs. Club Canela, the first in-app streaming rewards program of its kind, turns passive viewing into active, ongoing engagement through a gamified, rewards-driven experience.
We’re no longer asking brands to choose between storytelling and performance. With Canela, they get culturally resonant programming paired with data-driven activation, all built for how today’s U.S. Hispanic audiences actually watch and engage.
How are data and AI changing the way you approach Upfront commitments?
Data and AI have fundamentally changed how we approach the Upfront at Canela Media. Through the continued evolution of CAS, we’re giving brands the ability to plan, activate, and measure with far greater precision, rooted in real viewing behavior and a deeply loyal audience. That allows advertisers to extend reach while maintaining cultural relevance and accountability from the moment they commit.
Ultimately, technology is only part of the equation. What truly sets Canela Media apart is the combination of advanced data and AI with a team that deeply understands today’s U.S. Hispanic audiences. That commitment to authenticity is what ensures innovation never comes at the expense of cultural connection.
Where are you finding the most value – premium live content, sports, or digital extensions?
Premium live sports content is a major focus for us in 2026, particularly around soccer as global attention builds toward the World Cup. Brands are looking to connect with fans in moments that drive real passion, and we’ve focused on surrounding those moments with fan-centric storytelling that keeps audiences engaged year-round, not just on match days.
Our “Verano de Gloria” tentpole is a great example, capturing the stories, personalities, and cultural moments around the game and extending that engagement across platforms. We’re particularly excited about originals like “El Quinto Partido,” hosted by Julián Gil, which explores one of the most emotional narratives in fútbol and demonstrates how brands like Hyundai can align authentically with fandom.
For those of you headed to New York City Center for the Fox event, here are some teasers: The “Baywatch” reboot will make a midseason premiere in January — with Toyota already signed as series sponsor.
Fox also announced espionage thriller “The Interrogator,” written and executive produced by actor and comedian Stephen Fry. Dating show “Marriage Market,” hosted by Whitney Cummings (“Whitney”), has a January premiere date, and two additional NFL games have been added to the 2026-27 schedule.
We’ll be back tomorrow with more on Fox, as well as Amazon, Telemundo, and TelevisaUnivision. See you then! |
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