All over New York City during the week of May 12, many people were saying the same thing: “Upfronts aren’t what they used to be.” Until it was decimated by the pandemic and then the writers and actors strikes, TV upfront week was known as a nearly non-stop party at top venues throughout the city.
But still, there were some major developments revealed during presentations going on from Monday through Wednesday.
Perhaps the biggest, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that after two years, it is jettisoning the name Max and returning to HBO Max, restoring the vaunted brand name to its rightful place atop the marquee.
Here are some of the other highlights from the slimmed-down series of events, aimed at getting advertisers to commit to large media buys in upcoming programming.
NBC Universal
About to celebrate 100 years in business, (yep, it was radio back then) NBC will mark that milestone anniversary with a huge variety special, ala SNL 50, commemorating a century of culture-defining moments.
Other major program highlights include the Winter Olympics in Italy in February 2026, the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star weekend, Sunday Night Football’s 20th season and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Something else to look forward to this fall – basketball GOAT Michael Jordan becomes a special contributor to the NBA on NBC coverage.
NBCU kicked off the festivities Monday morning at Radio City Music Hall with Seth MacFarlane doing a hilarious (and often profane) song and dance number before chairman of global advertising and partnerships Mark Marshall descended onto the stage in a Glinda bubble, a prelude to promoting the new Wicked film coming this fall from Universal Pictures.
Entitled Wicked: for Good, the sure-to-be a blockbuster hit film will also stream after its theatrical run on Peacock. The film’s stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will also host a special televised event before the movie’s premiere on November 21.
Soccer fans will love this – Telemundo and Peacock will broadcast all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup.
Snoop Dogg capped off the presentation as only he can, after announcing that he will be hosting an NBC New Year’s Eve special from Miami.
Amazon
In only its second-ever upfront presentation, Amazon took over the Beacon Theater for a star-studded event introducing its upcoming programming.
Among those taking the stage to celebrate: DJ Steve Aoki, Elizabeth Banks, Dave Bautista, John Cena, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Walton Goggins, Blake Griffin, Michael B. Jordan, Jason Kelce, Travis Kelce, Lizzo, Jason Momoa, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Octavia Spencer.
Prime Video announced it has ordered Delphi, the first live action series spinoff from the Creed universe. It focuses on young boxers at the Delphi gym and is executive produced by Creed star Michael B Jordan.
The streamer renewed its global hit series Fallout starring Walton Goggins for a third season – ahead of its highly anticipated second season set to premiere in December.
Another hot show is sure to be Spider-Noir, showcasing Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage in the iconic Spider-Man suit. The series centers on a down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to deal with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.
Also upcoming on Prime Video, the series Barbershop starring Jermaine Fowler and a new holiday movie called Oh. What. Fun. It stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Denis Leary, Felicity Jones, Eva Longoria, Joan Chen and Jason Schwartzman.
Next summer, Prime Video will present the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle starring Lexi Minetree in the title role made famous by Reese Witherspoon.
Afterwards, Amazon took over the New York Public Library for a private concert featuring Lizzo.
TelevisaUnivision
With its deep-rooted connection to the fastest-growing segment of the US audience and its historical importance to Hispanic/Latino communities, TelevisaUnivision unveiled a slate hinging on music, drama and sports geared towards a younger audience.
The presentation kicked off with a rockin’ performance by Prince Royce and took place at the elegant Hall de Lumières in TriBeCa, a stunning historic venue that was once a bank building. Perhaps the significance of that was intentional, as both an indicator of the purchasing power of the Hispanic audience, as well as the network’s reputation that it can bank on.
“TelevisaUnivision is the single most powerful and enduring force in media for Hispanics – the only fully integrated ecosystem that unites premium Spanish-language content, audience insight, and cross-platform scale – all under one roof,” said Donna Speciale, head of US Ad Sales and Marketing, as she welcomed the audience.
“In an industry of companies trying to be everything to everyone, we are solely focused on being everything to one: the Hispanic community, a relationship we’ve built and nurtured for 70 years. And in a world where consumer attention is more fragmented than ever, our authenticity and legacy aren’t just advantages – they are the cornerstone of relevance.”
Ignacio Meyer, President of Univision Networks Group, and Rafael Urbina, President of Streaming and Digital, unveiled what they called cross-general content built for brand impact. It includes ViX, the company’s global streaming platform reaching 28 million viewers across digital video with new unscripted content across genres ranging from lifestyle and competition to music.
They also announced YA Fest, a brand-new music festival, broadcasting live from three major cities in September 2026. The multi-city celebration will feature electrifying performances and immersive fan experiences, airing across TelevisaUnivision’s platforms.
Audiences will also have access to ViX Música, with unparalleled access to the Latin music world, from premiere concerts and unplugged performances to exclusive interviews with top artists.
There’s also a new partnership with iHeartMedia to exclusively stream iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina live on ViX this October.
Music fans will also enjoy seeing the Latin Grammy Awards, airing live from Las Vegas on November 13.
Warner Bros. Discovery
The big news! Drumroll, please. Two years since the re-brand, say goodbye to Max. It’ll be HBO Max moving forward. Cheers and applause rang out in the Theater at Madison Square Garden when Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content Casey Bloys announced the name change. Likely his official title will change as well.
“With the course we are on and the strong momentum we’re enjoying,” said Bloys, “we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition.”
The presentation started with, naturally, talent from HBO’s recent huge hit, Season 3 of The White Lotus. Carrie Coon, Michelle Monaghan and Leslie Bibb, TWL’s BFFs, came out on stage with a skit complimenting each other’s skin, based on their cocktail habits at the resort.
Springboarding off that, Max (now, HBO Max) CMO Shauna Spenley bent ears about the effect of the series, which has been set at Four Seasons resorts in Maui, Taormina and Thailand.
She cited the tourism booms to those locales and the brand partnerships the show has created with luxury consumer products. “I don’t want to brag, but it feels like we’re building national economies out here,” she said, before showing off a screen filled with tweets about TWL. One of them said, “I wonder what Lachlan and Saxon are doing for National Sibling Day,” bringing another round of laughter from the crowd.
Recent theatrical hits Sinners and The Minecraft Movie ($1 billion at the global box office) were acknowledged, but the big excitement was reserved for the upcoming Superman film, to be released July 11.
Shaquille O’Neal joined DC’s James Gunn and Peter Safran to screen the latest trailer from the film, which stars David Corenswet in the title role, alongside Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor..
