May Upfronts Week Collapses as Most Media Companies Delay Their Virtual Events

NBCU, Fox, Disney among presenters postponing their scheduled dates

One month ago, the annual May upfronts week was upended as all the major media companies canceled their presentations en masse and switched to virtual events amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The TV advertising tradition is now in the process of dissolving entirely this year, as most presenters have decided to delay their virtual events for several weeks, or rethink their plans entirely.

Most of the upfronts week presenters—including NBCUniversal, Fox, Discovery and Disney—told Adweek that while they haven’t set a timeframe for their respective virtual presentations, they will no longer be held during upfronts week, which was supposed to kick off on May 11.

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