• by Wayne Friedman , January 31, 2024

NBCUniversal is returning to its usual place in Radio City Music Hall on the first Monday of the traditional TV upfront week (May 13) for its upfront presentation.

This follows news that Warner Bros. Discovery will also return with a traditional live presentation at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. 

A year ago, TV upfront presentations were impacted by the actors' and writers' strikes. As a result, actors who were respecting picket lines did not appear at the high-profile events.

“As consumers' viewing habits continue to shift, the opportunity to connect with audiences across platforms is more valuable than ever,” said Mark Marshall, chairman of global advertising/partnerships at NBCUniversal, in a statement.

For Telemundo -- its Spanish-language TV network/platform -- NBCU plans a night “celebration” after the day’s upfront event on Monday. 

Last year, NBCU experienced a major disruption with the sudden departure of its most senior advertising executive, Linda Yaccarino, who departed the company to become CEO of X/Twitter, just before the live NBCU upfront event.

After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 and 2021), NBCUniversal returned to its in-person upfront presentations at Radio City in 2022. 

NBCU will stage another of its annual technology events -- One24 -- its fourth annual conference, this year at 30 Rock's Studio 8H, home of “Saturday Night Live” on March 20.  

Paramount Global will avoid a gala, star-studded presentation at its usual spot in Carnegie Hall in favor of a series of intimate meetings with buyers and clients, now for  a second year.