Top media buyers, CBS talent and execs packed into Carnegie Hall, one of NYC’s most glamorous (and expensive) venues for their annual upfront. Both CBS President and CEO Les Moonves and President of Entertainment Nina Tassler discussed the importance of social TV through their presentations. Here are a few highlights.
If you haven’t read our exclusive coverage of the new CBS Connect platform, check out our in-depth analysis on how they’re selling social to their advertisers. Tassler proudly showed off Connect to the audience while describing their 167,000,000 plus social media fans.
Moonves, who kicked off the night, even went as far to incorporate a comedy bit where he showed off his Pinterest board. Social was an important part of the upfront, but the execs made sure to remind everyone that TV, “the main screen” is what’s most important, proven by the fact that they are the highest-rated network.
Their new shows for the fall look pretty compelling overall. The Shield’s Michael Chiklis is back on screen as a villain in Vegas in Dennis Quaid and Sophia Bush, from One Tree Hill will be in a new bromantic comedy called Partners. Both Chiklis and Bush are big on Twitter. Networked Insights (NI) also recommends both of these shows. NI advised against Friend Me — that comedy based on Groupon — Golden Boy and Made in New Jersey.