To upfront or not upfront, that is the question.
AMC Networks will choose the former, holding an in-person event with between 200 to 250 attendees at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Tuesday, April 18. The company opts for the approach after at least one of the nation’s biggest media companies has opted to abandon the concept, and a sector upstart has unveiled an effort to take its place.
AMC, home to premium series tied to “The Walking Dead” and author Anne Rice’s novels, intends to focus on the aforementioned series, as well as “Lucky Hank,” a new show starring Bob Odenkirk and Mireille Enos. The company will also discuss other programs; a widening array of FAST channels; and emerging methods of so-called “advanced advertising” that uses data to hone in on specific consumer groups.
“We are looking forward to the most innovative and future-facing upfront in our history, with a focus on partnering with marketers around targeted audiences, creative ad products and an exciting slate of high-quality programming that will build on our proven ability to engage passionate fan communities around compelling franchises and universes,” said Kim Kelleher, AMC Networks’ chief commercial officer, in a statement.
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AMC will hold its upfront after indicating in November that it has been pressured by the migration of TV viewers to streaming hubs. AMC Networks parted ways with new CEO Christina Spade last year. James Dolan, one of the members of the company’s controlling family, has taken on her role. “It was our belief that cord cutting losses would be offset by gains in streaming. This has not been the case,” Dolan said last year. “We are primarily a content company and the mechanisms for the monetization of content are in disarray.”
In an era when consumer viewing patterns are changing radically, some advertisers have questioned whether a traditional upfront buying cycle remains relevant. In the upfront, advertisers try to lock in prices by buying in advance. But in the current era, consumers find content at times of their own choosing, not necessarily during primetime or the typical September-to-May TV season.
Paramount Global raised eyebrows in December when it said it would scrap the long-running Carnegie Hall presentation it has held for year. TV networks typically use mid-May to kick off the industry’s annual “upfront” market, when the industry tries to sell the bulk of its advertising inventory in advance of its next programming cycle. Netflix intends to take over the Wednesday slot previously controlled by Paramount.
AMC Networks intends to complement its live event with a series of bespoke presentations to individual media buyers.
