YouTube returns to the TV Upfronts slot in New York in mid-May with the annual brand broadcast event for advertisers

For the second year in a row, YouTube is hosting its annual brand broadcast for video ad buyers during a week dominated by traditional New York TV networks.

The digital video giant, which was a key tenant of NewFronts’ more digitally-focused promotional showcase held earlier in the spring, debuted a show in the Broadway theater district in mid-May of last year. This year, on May 17, Brandcast will travel across town to Lincoln Center’s newly renovated David Geffen Hall. The evening show will be followed by an after party, YouTube announced in a blog post.

The Lincoln Center bash follows a message to advertisers from another digital television invader: Netflix, which has taken over a slot long held by CBS and more recently by parent company Paramount Global. (Netflix launched its new subscription tier with ads in 12 territories last November.) With a new team leading ad sales at Paramount and economic headwinds putting the spotlight on costs, the company decided to elevate traditional Carnegie Hall to ahead of its time. skipping rather than opting for smaller gatherings. Oops with buyers.

AMC Networks confirmed plans for a Spring Advance earlier today and is partnering with NBCUniversal to host an in-person event. Disney, Fox Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery and CW have yet to announce their strategies. The format of the Upfronts — for years a mix of lavish venues and networking parties each spring in New York, culminating in dozens of events from February to May when cable TV was still in its heyday — has changed significantly. Cord cutting, changing viewing habits and the ongoing impact of Covid have all put budgets under pressure. NewFronts, a series of digital and streaming advertising showcases of which YouTube was a founding member in the late 2000s, is scheduled to take place May 1-4 in New York.

YouTube continues to grow in terms of total views and lounge share, adding new folds to advertisers like YouTube Shorts and FAST Channels. Pay-TV service YouTube TV tops all ISPs with more than 5 million subscribers, bringing the company back to an endemic audience, and it has also sealed exclusive rights to NFL Sunday Ticket broadcasts starting next fall.

“Today, viewers want to move seamlessly from writer-driven content to episodic TV shows and from short to long form,” wrote Marie Gulin-Merle, global VP of ad marketing at Google. “YouTube is the only place that has everything for everyone on every screen.”