Media companies face economic uncertainty as their annual advertising Upfronts begin. Legacy giants like Comcast’s NBCUniversal, Fox Corp., and Warner Bros. Discovery will present pitches to ad buyers for upcoming sports, entertainment, and news programming. Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video are also participating in this year’s Upfronts. Amid concerns about tariffs, inflation, and consumer sentiment, advertisers are formulating contingency plans. Traditional TV advertising spending may decline by $2.78 billion to $4.12 billion depending on tariff impacts, while streaming ad spending is expected to grow by $1 billion. Despite these challenges, executives report no significant pullback in ad spending yet. Live sports and must-see TV remain key factors in discussions. Media companies emphasize the importance of advertising during uncertain times, offering reliable viewership metrics and sure-fire content. — new from CNBC
