The Interactive Advertising Bureau has released the full schedule for next month’s NewFronts as the showcases return to in-person mode for the first time since 2019.
Amazon, Meta, Roku and NBCUniversal are among major presenters returning to the NewFronts. (See full schedule below.) The series of presentations will be held in person in New York from May 2 to 4, with an additional all-virtual day on May 5. The IAB said it plans to livestream the in-person presentations from as-yet-unspecified venues in New York City.
The NewFronts, which have surged in popularity amid the boom in digital advertising and the rush to streaming, are an annual ritual in New York. This year, even apart from the emergence from the pandemic, they will look a bit different. YouTube and Hulu, two of the founding NewFronts presenters, have shifted away from the digital week and into the week of May 16, when broadcast networks and major media companies make their pitches. Hulu is now part of Disney’s overall offering to media buyers, while YouTube’s Brandcast has moved to May 17.
YouTube is retaining some presence in the NewFronts, sponsoring a breakfast panel on May 2, the traditional kickoff to the week presented by MediaLink. That same morning, the IAB will release its annual report on video ad spending.
The IAB also set the agenda for the podcast upfront, which will unfold virtually from May 10 to 12. Initial participants include Boston public radio station WBUR, Sony Music Entertainment and ad marketplace Gumball.
Here are day-by-day highlights of the NewFronts schedule (all times ET):
MAY 2
Opening remarks by IAB CEO David Cohen – 9-9:15 a.m.
Panel about the creator economy (with Tara Wolpert Levy, Google’s VP of agency and brand solutions; and MediaLink CEO Michael Kassan) – 9:15-10:30 a.m.
NBCUniversal/Peacock – 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Vizio – 2-3:30 p.m.
Tubi – 4:30-6 p.m.
Amazon – 7-8:30 p.m.
MAY 3
Samsung – 9-10:30 a.m.
Roku – 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Condé Nast – 2 p.m.-3 p.m.
Snap – 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m.
Meta – 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
MAY 4
A focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, featuring panel sessions and short presentations by Digitas, Blavity, Revolt Media, Black Enterprise and Twitter
MAY 5
A day of shorter, pre-recorded presentations presented online. Participants include A+E Networks, Nielsen, FuboTV, Dotdash Meredith, Comscore, Innovid, Crackle Plus, Niestra.TV, Samba TV, Tastemade, Estrella Media, Canela Media and The Recount.
Vevo and Warner Music Group will conclude the NewFronts with 90-minute presentations.