The week of upfronts continued on Tuesday afternoon as Disney took its turn in the spotlight. It also marked a first for new CEO Josh D’Amaro.
What We Know: Tuesday marked Disney’s bite at the apple with major advertisers when it comes to upfronts. The upfront was held in New York City. The Savannah Bananas opened the event with a musical number from the movie The Greatest Showman. D’Amaro was named Bob Iger’s successor as CEO of Disney in February.
What They Said: “Everybody, in their own way, is racing to assemble something. Studios. Streaming services. Sports rights. Live events. And brands that audiences feel something about. It is, in a way, a real compliment to this company. Because what they are racing to assemble is, more or less, the picture of what we already are.”
“Our audiences are the ones who have been showing up as generations. Ours are the ones that are all in. You cannot acquire a hundred years of trust and put generations of belonging on a balance sheet. Disney is part of people’s lives in a way few brands have ever been. And in a world of infinite choice and constant distraction, that kind of presence is rare and getting rarer.”
– Josh D’Amaro, Disney CEO
What It Means: It’s a new era for Disney. Bob Iger spent more than 20 years leading the company, between Bob Chapek’s two-year stint sandwiched between Iger’s tenure. With D’Amaro’s first upfront, it marks the first real chance advertisers get to see his vision for the company.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
