From the continued dominance of live sports to the evolution of streaming ad tech, this year’s upfront landscape presents fresh opportunities and evolving challenges.
Here, we break down the biggest themes shaping year’s upfront marketplace.
Live events and sports remain the centerpiece of the upfronts
Unsurprisingly, live sports are still the crown jewel of networks’ portfolios and are a top priority for advertisers. With massive events like the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and major changes in NBA broadcast rights, live programming continues to grow in value.
Here’s what the 2025-2026 sports slate currently looks like:
- NFL inventory sold out early last year, and we expect the same this year. The NFL accounted for 72 of the 100 most-watched live telecasts in 2024.
- The NBA signed an 11-year TV deal with NBC, Disney (ABC/ESPN), and Amazon Prime, ending the anticipation of what would predictably be a record-setting deal for the league. Notably, the WNBA demand is rising, with new media rights deals of their own. Starting in 2026, the WNBA’s 11-year deal with broadcast games with Disney, Amazon Prime, and NBC.
- NBCU is stacking Q1 2026 with the Super Bowl, Olympics, and expanded sports rights, which will squeeze entertainment avails, impacting inventory and fulfillment of guarantees.
- Fox is leveraging its deep sports slate, NFL, MLB, NASCAR, College Sports, and FIFA World Cup 2026, which will command significant investment. FIFA World Cup inventory is nearly sold out, with $10M minimum entry points if sales resume. For most advertisers, Spanish-language or local buys (e.g., Telemundo) represent a more viable path in one of the biggest global events.
Streaming platforms are also going all-in on sports and live events, making the landscape even more fragmented, but also ripe with potential.
- Netflix now owns rights to two Christmas Day NFL games, WWE Raw, and future Women’s World Cup events.
- Amazon is doubling down with an exclusive NBA Play-In Tournament, Black Friday NFL and NBA games, and expanded NBA League Pass offerings.
- Roku enters its second year with Sunday morning MLB baseball, continuing the trend of nontraditional players acquiring premium rights.
DAI and measurement advancements
One of the most notable shifts in this year’s Upfronts is the mainstream adoption of Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI), gaining traction amongst streamers across live events. Historically more common in on-demand content, DAI is now making its way into live sports and tentpole programming, fundamentally changing how advertisers can buy, optimize, and measure media in these environments.
DAI allows networks and streamers to insert customized, real-time ads into live content and unlocking more addressability, targeting, and flexibility than traditional linear ad slots. While linear TV delivers the same ad to everyone watching, DAI can serve different creatives to different viewers simultaneously, based on data signals like geography, device, or audience behavior.
Netflix and Fox are both leaning into DAI for live sports and events, with Netflix testing new capabilities and Fox expanding across apps and digital.
While DAI is ushering in a new era of personalized live advertising, it also introduces complexity in tracking, attribution, and creative management. Brands that lean in early, and gain insights from experimenting while working closely with partners to align on measurement, will be best positioned to capitalize on this rapidly evolving opportunity.
Changes on the horizon for cable networks
While cable wasn’t a major focus, there are a couple of key changes to monitor.
Comcast/NBCU is spinning off most cable networks into a new entity, which has now been named Versant, however, it will not impact upfront negotiations this year.
Paramount is exploring a one-buy model across all cable networks under Paramount Connect, but details are still emerging.
The cable universe is contracting, but its influence is evolving, not disappearing. Media buyers should focus on the networks that still deliver scale, cultural relevance, and cross-platform integration, while being cautious of legacy buys that no longer reflect how audiences consume content today.
Streaming and ad innovation take center stage
This year’s upfronts featured more focus on streaming and ad innovation than ever before. We’re seeing real movement in terms of new formats, measurement, and monetization models, particularly around interactive units, branded content, and AI-enabled formats. As measurement capabilities evolve, these innovations are becoming more viable for performance-focused clients.
Advertisers now have access to a toolbox of new formats and functionalities designed to capture viewer attention more effectively:
- Interactive and Shoppable Ads: Streaming platforms are testing clickable overlays, QR codes, and browsable carousels to reduce friction between ad view and action. These formats are particularly well-suited for retailers, CPGs, and entertainment brands looking to drive immediate response.
- Pause Ads and Binge Ads: Formats like ‘binge ad units’ reward users for extended viewing sessions with fewer commercials, while ‘pause ads’ offer ambient brand presence when viewers hit pause. These formats reflect a deeper understanding of streaming behavior and offer non-intrusive brand exposure.
Heading into negotiations, it’s clear that sports and live events are must-haves, and demand is already intense. Booking early, especially in the NFL and NBA/WNBA spaces, is essential. Simultaneously, streaming continues to disrupt traditional models, offering new inventory but also requiring adaptability in buying strategies and measurement tools.