Toni Fitzgerald addresses the TV upfront in this Media Life Magazine article and discusses the relevancy of the upfront in the digital age.
Among the factors impacting the upfront:
-New technology including programmatic.
-The evolution of television viewing. Since viewers watch TV on their own schedules, across different devices, the fall premiere model may no longer be relevant.
-There are fewer must-buy shows on broadcast
-Some advertisers, such as General Motors and Procter & Gamble, have pulled out of the upfront or sharply cut their buys.
-Some networks are eliminating their upfront presentations.
Fitzgerald concludes, “For the next few years, the upfront will continue. But for how long after that is really anyone’s guess.”