Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront Will Return to MSG Theater May 15

Jon Steinlauf 2023 WBD Upfront
Jon Steinlauf at WBD's 2023 upfront (Image credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Warner Bros. Discovery said it again will hold its 2024 upfront presentation at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on May 15, during what has traditionally been known as broadcast’s upfront week.

The ad industry has gone through changes, and digital companies including YouTube and Netflix have joined the upfront party in pursuit of television ad dollars.

Last year, one of the big media companies, Paramount Global abandoned upfront week and CBS’s annual Carnegie Hall extravaganza in favor of more intimate meetings with buyers and advertisers.

Earlier this week, A+E Networks said its upfront presentation would again be presented virtually in March.

Overall, upfront presentations no longer focus on broadcast network primetime schedules, instead talking about targeting, data, ad tech and attribution. And with more of the media companies’ ad inventory becoming digital, more is being bought programmatically and less during the annual upfront bazaar.

“Warner Bros. Discovery has the strongest portfolio of networks, platforms, and brands in the business, delivering unparalleled scale and reach,“ Warner Bros. Discovery chief U.S. advertising sales officer Jon Steinlauf said. “Our groundbreaking technology provides standout, industry-leading opportunities to connect our clients with the tens of millions of valuable viewers who watch, stream and engage with our content daily.

“At this year’s upfront presentation, we are incredibly excited to showcase our innovative advanced advertising solutions, as well as the Max streaming portfolio, which places brands alongside our award-winning series, films, live sports and breaking news,” he added.  

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.