Picket Lines, Tight Budgets Confront TV Networks Pitching Shows
Members of the Writers Guild of America in the picket-line outside of HBO and Amazon's offices in New York.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
As if a shrinking audience of traditional viewers and advertisers pulling back in a wobbly economy weren’t enough, TV networks will have to confront picket lines of striking writers this week as they present their fall lineups to media buyers.
The annual ritual, known as the upfronts, is when major networks like ABC and NBC sell much of their commercial inventory for the coming TV season. The networks typically take over landmark New York City venues and trot out their biggest stars for previews of their shows. The networks staged in-person upfronts in 2022 after two years of virtual presentations during the pandemic.