Fox Plans to Overhaul Upfront With Non-Traditional Events in New Venues

Brian Steinberg
·3 min read

Fox is shaking up the way it talks to Madison Avenue.

After years of highlighting sports programming and primetime options on its flagship broadcast network, Fox Corporation plans to abandon its longtime roost at New York’s Beacon Theater during the industry’s annual May week of upfront presentations and start putting a bigger spotlight on ad-tech, streaming and its broader portfolio of media properties. The shift takes place as many traditional purveyors of TV make changes in their business to accommodate a growing interest by consumers in on-demand streaming and new demands from prominent sponsors to align commercial messages with the viewing patterns of narrower groups of potential customers.

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Fox plans two different events tied to the upfront. On March 23, the company will hold a summit at its Fox Lot in Los Angeles to highlight investments made in content, data and new technology. Fox’s May presentation will take place Monday, May 16, at the Skylight on Vesey in New York City, which is expected to provide a somewhat more intimate experience than the Beacon and allow for new discussions.

“As a 100% ad supported portfolio, staying connected with our valued partners is a huge priority, and we can’t wait to see everyone in person,” said Marianne Gambelli, Fox Corp.’s president of advertising sales, in a statement.

In years past, Fox Corp. held individual event to burnish offerings from the broadcast network, Fox Sports and Fox News Media. In 2022, the company is going to discuss opportunities across its broader holdings — something rivals like NBCUniversal and Disney have been doing more of for the last few years. To be sure, Fox has used its mainstay presentation to nod to Fox News and Fox Sports, but the event has typically been utilized to call attention to its primetime offerings, and, more recently, its Tubi streaming hub. Fox could use its 2022 May event to nod to non-broadcast offerings, such as Fox News Channel’s “The Five,” which has seen its viewership grow in recent months, or Bret Baier’s “Special Report” as part of a focus on midterm election coverage. The company has also launched a suite of new streaming services in recent months, including Fox Weather, its recently launched streaming outlet.

Fox, like its competitors, has reason to test new pitches. Advertisers have begun to move more of their money out of primetime, pushed by falling linear ratings, heavier demand for the audience that remains, and the lure of trying to gain footholds in new streaming venues. According to Variety estimates NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox and the CW secured between $8.2 billion and $10.1 billion for their 2021-2022 primetime schedules, compared with between $8.2 billion and $9.8 billion for their 2020-2021 offerings, but down significantly from the 2019-2020 cycle, which was less affected by the pandemic.

Fox will also promote Tubi during the “newfront” process organized by the Interactive Advertising Bureau. On May 2, the company will hold an event to discuss opportunities advertisers might find with the streaming hub.

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