In final yr’s upfront occasion, Disney delivered on its promise of that includes extra expertise onstage than ever, with the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Selena Gomez and extra making entrepreneurs marvel. And regardless of a writers strike maintaining many celebs removed from upfront levels this yr, the corporate nonetheless managed to showcase a number of large names, together with Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian and Marvel head Kevin Feige.
Up to now, the continued Writers Guild of America strike has made its presence identified in practically each upfront week presentation, with Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix confirming that they’re going sans expertise for his or her occasions, as celebrities are cautious of crossing picket traces. And with WGA protesters marching exterior Disney’s presentation on the North Javits Middle in New York—a extra expansive venue than final yr’s Basketball Metropolis—Disney’s advert gross sales chief Rita Ferro acknowledged the obstacles the occasion confronted in her opening remarks.
“Making ready for this presentation, as you all know, is one in every of my favourite instances of the yr, even in years like this, full of inauspicious challenges,” Ferro stated, seemingly acknowledging the strike. However the advert gross sales president added that “Disney is ready to fulfill each problem.”
For the corporate, one of the crucial notable challenges was the strike-related absence of Jimmy Kimmel, its perennial upfront roast grasp, who’s been so devoted to the occasion up to now that he even carried out through Zoom after testing optimistic for Covid-19 the day of Disney’s 2022 presentation.
Making large names a ‘Actuality’
With out a lot of its leisure expertise to concentrate on, sports activities took up a big portion of the presentation earlier than the corporate transitioned into information and actuality.
Latest Adweek cowl topic Serena Williams appeared to announce ESPN’s Within the Enviornment: Serena Williams, a docuseries that includes unique seems to be on the athlete’s profession, and Pat McAfee revealing he’s becoming a member of ESPN. The corporate showcased the NBA on ESPN by bringing out Donovan Mitchell from the Cavs to recall his 71 level efficiency from the season, and Breanna Stewart and Angel Reese appeared on stage, selling girls’s basketball and urging entrepreneurs to extend the present stats of solely round 5% of sports activities media advertising going into girls’s sports activities.
