Inside the Fox Upfront: Rupert Murdoch, David Letterman and an Unfortunate Tom Brady Pass

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This week’s presentation by Fox was quite conventional in several aspects, perhaps more traditional than others we might witness. The executives and talent mainly emphasized live sports and news, everyone was dressed formally in suits, and no hints were dropped about any potential subscription services – whether they have one or not.

In other words, the Monday afternoon event took a contemporary and unconventional turn, demonstrating postmodern elements. This was apparent as 95-year-old Rupert Murdoch, accompanied by his son Lachlan and ordinary people, were seen bobbing their heads to Jay Z’s “Public Service Announcement.” Jamie Foxx then entertained the audience with an impression of President Donald Trump making a mistake in pronouncing the name “Tesla” on stage.

And that was within the first five minutes.

Denis Leary addressed the Boston Celtics fans gathered at the Manhattan Center, saying something akin to “take a hike” as tensions rose during a Knicks pep rally outside Madison Square Garden’s neighboring venue. In an attempt to generate interest in IndyCar racing, David Letterman was playfully hoisted aloft by Michael Strahan, reminiscent of Jennifer Grey’s lift in Dirty Dancing. Moreover, Tom Brady attempted to throw a pass at some unidentified media buyer, who happened to be standing near his fellow sportscaster and former teammate Rob Gronkowski, but the pass didn’t go as planned.

Thankfully, no one seemed to have been harmed. There was a lot of clear communication between the talented performers who seemed hesitant to stick to the teleprompter and the music cues that played at unexpected moments. After predicting last year that Fox News would control election night coverage (as expected) and that medical drama Doc would be successful (quite surprising), the presentation began. “We have a rich history of thinking against the grain,” said Jeff Collins, president of advertising sales, marketing, and brand partnerships at Fox Corp, eager to share some recent statistics. One of the more intriguing was that 24% of commercial airtime for programs with over a million viewers is on Fox. Take a moment to ponder that figure before continuing.

This week, Collins emphasized the sale of Fox Sports, Fox News Media, Fox Entertainment, and the ad-supported streaming service Tubi, focusing on their strong performances in sports and news sectors. Notably, these categories have been some of the most reliable and advertiser-friendly offerings presented this week. Interestingly, Tubi secured a larger portion of the presentation time – approximately an hour and fifteen minutes – compared to last year’s allocation, demonstrating its increased appeal to advertisers.

CEO Anjali Sud explained that their business operates under a single model, which is based solely on effectively showing relevant advertisements to viewers at optimal times. Currently, this platform boasts 97 million active users each month.

Advertisers are eager to connect with young audiences, yet they appear uneasy encountering them in their natural environment. When Tubi introduced its Gen Z personalities to promote shows like “Kissing is the Easy Part” and “Losing a Popularity Contest,” the crowd became noticeably tense.

After the children left the stage, there was a significant shift as Martha MacCallum of Fox News interviewed Bret Baier, who had temporarily replaced his pearly whites for an assignment in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to interview President Trump. It’s essential to recall that these are the individuals who have direct access to the president at his fingertips.

Over the past six years, it’s intriguing to observe the growing unity within the Fox brands, yet this consolidation hasn’t seemed to affect the rate of talent departures. Prior to being sold to Disney, Fox News was often overlooked during pitch presentations. Nowadays, stars like Jane Lynch and Harris Faulkner are sharing the spotlight. Notable figures such as Jon Hamm, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brendan Fraser, and Jamie Foxx have also joined the ranks.

As a diehard fan, I can’t help but share the hilarious moment during the broadcast when Hamm, known for his cartoon character, cracked a brilliant “Mad Men” joke that had everyone laughing heartily. He reminisced about the upfronts, saying, “I have a wealth of fantastic memories from these events, largely stemming from my own advertising experiences in the ’60s.

Just a short while ago, NBC announced its upcoming 100th anniversary, and Fox concluded their presentation by highlighting some of their own achievements: Gordon Ramsay completing 25 years on the network and The United States celebrating 250 years. It seems that America’s 250th anniversary will play a significant role in Fox’s programming schedule for 2026.

And we’ll see how that shapes up if we make it another year.

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2025-05-13 02:24