YouTube Moves Brandcast Event From NewFronts to Upfront Week

Just when upfront week seemed to be locked in—with all traditional presenters committing to their first in-person events since 2019—a new company is crashing the already-crowded annual May gathering for marketers. In a major shakeup, YouTube is moving its annual Brandcast event, usually held during the IAB NewFronts, to upfront week, the company said today. Its presentation will take place on Tuesday, May 17, at 8 p.m. ET in New York, featuring “top creators and music talent,” Debbie Weinstein, vp, YouTube and video global solutions, wrote in a blog post announcing the shift. This will be YouTube’s first in-person Brandcast since 2019’s event, though marketers will also be able to join remotely. As a founding NewFronts member, YouTube will also maintain a presence at the IAB event, which will be held the week of May 2, albeit one that is scaled down from previous years. YouTube will hold a presentation with MediaLink on Monday, May 2, “featuring industry leaders and creators discussing the future of content and the role of the creator economy,” Weinstein wrote. YouTube Explores Ways to Detect Misinformation Early, Extend Efforts Globally A YouTube spokesperson said the company will also “share insights with reporters and advertisers throughout” NewFronts week, and will provide additional details closer to NewFronts. As for why YouTube is shifting Brandcast, “today, streaming and TV are one and the same. And YouTube can help advertisers reach more of their audiences on the big screen,” wrote Weinstein, who noted that the platform accounts for more than 50% of ad-supported streaming watch time on connected TVs among those 18 and up. “We feel this is the right time to help our customers bridge the gap between linear TV and digital, which is why YouTube will have a presence at both events this year,” Weinstein wrote. Still, the move to upfront week—when media giants tout their new and returning original content—is somewhat surprising given YouTube's recent decision to significantly scale back YouTube Originals. Disrupting Disney’s upfront plans YouTube’s decision to stake out Tuesday night for an upfront week will seemingly cause scheduling headaches for marketers also attending Disney’s presentation, which will be held late that afternoon, but is expected to last several hours, including the afterparty. Last October, Disney was the first upfront week presenter to announce a return to an in-person presentation on May 17, in its usual Tuesday afternoon position on the schedule. The company settled on a new venue earlier this month, revealing that its event will be at Basketball City, located on New York’s Pier 36, near the South Street Seaport. One of the reasons for Disney’s shift away from its longtime upfront week home, Lincoln Center, ad sales chief Rita Ferro told Adweek, was that Pier 36’s cavernous space enabled the company to hold the upfront afterparty in the same locale, and invite all upfront attendees for the first time. But the addition of Brandcast will likely disrupt Disney’s plans. “We did not want to schedule Brandcast at the same time as any other upfront presentation, and worked to accommodate our schedule accordingly,” a YouTube spokesperson told Adweek. When asked to comment about YouTube's Brandcast move, a Disney ad sales spokesperson told Adweek, “as traditional linear and digital continue to converge, we predict more brands will follow in the footsteps of media’s annual upfront pitch to advertisers. On May 17 at 4 p.m., Disney will demonstrate what it means to be unrivaled through a star-studded event, showcasing our best-in-class content and innovation, at an all-new venue that takes the upfront experience to new heights beyond the four walls of a theatre.” In addition to Disney, the Tuesday upfront week calendar also includes Discovery’s first-ever in-person upfront week in-person event, which will be held that morning.

TV Upfronts

YouTube Moves Brandcast Event From NewFronts to Upfront Week

Company sets May 17 presentation after Disney, will still maintain presence at IAB event

Jason Lynch

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Jason Lynch