Hot List: Upfronts And Outcomes
“This year our core headline is how do we turn those cultural moments into measurable outcomes? We’ve got premium content that creates attention”- Ryan Gould, WBD.
Happy post-Mother’s Day Monday — to all the female heroes, living or passed on — THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AND STRENGTH!
Skip below for our Hot List of fresh articles read on for our Hot Take of the Week on TV’s Upfronts and Outcomes…
It’s time for NYC to roll out the jumbo shrimp and sitcom stars, shine up the mirrors and cue the smoke — it’s TV Upfront week!
You don’t have to be a wizard to predict the pitch to advertisers this week — the unmatched power of live TV to deliver cultural moments. The advancements in technology that enable buying linear and streaming together. And — almost exactly 8 years after Linda Yaccarino announced NBCU and iSpot would measure TV based on business outcomes, and years spent complaining about Nielsen ratings—the entire industry is moving towards “outcomes”.
This is a good thing, TV networks should be willing to commit to some form of performance accountability. Brands want it.
According to an iSpot survey of 300 marketers out today, 45% of marketers identified outcomes as the most critical factor in buying and negotiating media in 2026. However, 47% of marketers cite measuring outcomes as a “significant challenge” for linear and streaming measurement this year.
With good reason, attribution is hard and trusting a self-reported publisher metric is even harder. And not all outcome signals are created equal. There are crappy solutions being pedaled by CTV optimization firms and low grade measurement companies that claim they can do outcomes, but really they are cheap search correlation schemes designed in the first dot-com era.
Networks should avoid the temptation for cheap tricks here. Not just because pedaling self reported snake oil can undermine the virtues of a performance pitch.
But also brands spending big bucks are sophisticated enough to see through a straw man. They are already tracking ad exposures across all touch points and have their own models and understand performance of their buys better than a publisher can tell them.
The move to outcomes this year is less about introducing a new publisher tech capability and more about the opportunity to foster a new discussion and develop a shared language between buyers and sellers around some agreed performance metrics that weren’t developed 90 years ago.
For the sake of TV, let’s hope that this week they nail the pitch.
Social video ad spending is set to outpace CTV in growth rate this year [Digiday]
TL;DR: New IAB data shows social video ad spend is projected to rise 13% in 2026, outpacing CTV’s 11% growth as marketers shift more dollars toward platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit.
Amazon Bets AI Can Rewrite the Upfront Playbook in a Fragmented TV Market [Adweek]
TL;DR: Amazon says it’s “reinventing” agency partnerships by combining premium content, first-party audience signals, and AI-powered campaign tools to help advertisers plan, optimize, and measure across streaming, digital, and the open web.
Fox Puts New Spotlight on Measuring Audience Reaction to Commercials [Variety]
TL;DR: Ahead of upfronts, Fox launched its new Flash Impact Report, measuring how ads drive real-world outcomes like brand awareness, purchase consideration, website visits, search activity, and even foot traffic—not just impressions or demographics.
Viant bolsters AI ad platform, challenges walled gardens with $40M TVision buy [StreamTV Insider]
TL;DR: After closing its $40 million acquisition of TVision, Viant Technology says advertisers can now buy linear and CTV inventory based on verified “eyes-on-screen,” co-viewing, and in-room presence rather than served impressions alone.
The $110 Billion Squeeze: How NFL’s Seismic Cash Grab Could Reshape TV [TheWrap]
TL;DR: With an opening to renegotiate its $110 billion media deals years early, the NFL is reportedly seeking significantly higher fees from partners like Paramount, Fox, NBC, Disney, and Amazon—leveraging football’s unmatched audience dominance to command even bigger checks.
Disney Plans to Stick With its Linear TV Channels, Operating Them as ‘Brands With Studios’ [Variety]
TL;DR: Speaking after Disney’s Q2 earnings, CEO Josh D'Amaro and CFO Hugh Johnston pushed back on speculation that Disney could spin off its traditional TV business, instead framing networks like ABC, FX, and Disney Channel as “brands with studios” that still create valuable IP, feed the streaming ecosystem, and support the broader Disney flywheel.
Inside WBD's New Pitch to Advertisers Amid Paramount Shakeup [Adweek]
TL;DR: With its proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance hanging over the market, WBD’s ad leadership is assuring buyers that its portfolio—from HBO Max, CNN, sports, theatrical, and lifestyle brands—remains fully intact and business as usual.
ICYMI
How The World Cup Became The New Super Bowl For Beverage Brands [AdExchanger]
March Madness expands to 76 teams as committees lock in long-term men's, women's NCAA Tournament change [CBS Sports]
Advanced TV Insider: Linear Still Has Positive Brand ROI [MediaPost]
Beer marketing is facing a big test this summer [Business Insider]
Google eyes long-rumored Gemini ad debut [EMARKETER]
Hanlon’s Local Links:
Nexstar Tegna Antitrust Lawsuit Now Bipartisan, Nexstar Fires Back- Nicole Vap [The Colorado Sun]
FCC Commissioners Could Retroactively Deny Nexstar-TEGNA Deal - Matthew Keys [TheDesk.net]
Gray Backs Off on Streaming - Scott Jones [FTVLive]
Axios Local Ramps Up Expansion Again As Part Of ‘Path To Profitability’ - Alice Brooker [Press Gazette]
Dentsu: AI Can ‘Bring Dollars Back To Local’ Linear - Michael Depp/Jennifer Hungerbuhler [TVNewsCheck]
People Are Stressed Out By Most News That Isn’t Local News, According To A New Study - Neel Dhanesha [NiemanLab]
