Netflix’s first upfront presentation to advertisers will be a virtual event. The streamer sent notes to attendees this evening to inform them of the last-minute shift. It is the first 2023 upfront event to pivot to a remote format.
Netflix in January announced its plan to crash the broadcast upfront week with an in-person presentation at the company-owned Paris Theater in New York on May 17 at 5 PM ET.
The Writers guild, which went on strike May 2, has said that it will picket the upfront events, leading to talent’s unwillingness to attend and presentations scaling back dramatically on cast appearances.
According to sources, Netflix’s decision to go virtual was made following concerns from the NYPD about pedestrian safety as a result of the planned picketing by the WGA. The event will have no talent, I hear.
After insisting for years that it would never take advertising, Netflix made an about face a year and a half ago after a significant market correction. At its upfront, the streamer plans to update advertisers on the progress of its $7-a-month tier and its upcoming slate.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Deadline