ViacomCBS announced the company’s plan for the 2020 Advertising Upfront season in light of continuing concerns about COVID-19 and guidelines from public health officials.
CBS Television Network will forego its live presentation to the advertising community at Carnegie Hall. Instead, network executives and CBS talent will unveil the new 2020-2021 primetime lineup and unique content from CBS Entertainment, CBS News, CBS Sports and CBS All Access in a video Upfront special to be posted to digital platforms on Wednesday, May 13. Additional details regarding the Upfront special will be announced at a future date.
Important information and insights normally shared during ViacomCBS client dinners and presentations scheduled for March and April will instead be delivered digitally via video and other formats. These communications will highlight the valuable opportunities for advertisers across the combined company, featuring the ViacomCBS cable networks and the [largest] premium digital video inventory in the industry, including the leading free streaming television service in the U.S., Pluto TV.
“We’ll miss Carnegie Hall and our agency dinners this year, but the health and safety of our clients and the ViacomCBS team comes first,” said Jo Ann Ross, President and Chief Advertising Revenue Officer, ViacomCBS Domestic Advertising Sales. “Our team has been planning for this possibility for weeks, and we have devised a digital showcase to unveil all of the premium content that we’re delivering throughout the company, from CBS Television Network and our robust cable portfolio across the Entertainment & Youth and Premium brands. We won’t miss a beat in engaging with clients around our unmatched offerings and solutions.”
“CBS has a very good story to tell, and this year we need a unique way to tell it,” said Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment. “We’re confident that this alternate format for this year can deliver what we’ve come to expect from a CBS Upfront – entertainment, stars, strategy and the first look at our new primetime series.”
CBS, America’s Most Watched Network, has led all networks in total viewers for 11 straight seasons and is currently #1 in total viewers for the 2019-2020 season with seven of the top eight new shows for the year. The 2018-2019 season was CBS’ third consecutive ratings win across primetime, late night and daytime.