This is a new term to me... "Upfront". I'm just learning about this although I've actually known what it was, just not the actual name.

An Upfront is an event the networks put on to showcase their new series (ie. pilots) to advertisers. But it goes beyond just series these days. For example, NBC Universal has many, many offerings to buyers...

(Zucker was eager to remind advertisers that) "you can buy mobile, you can buy digital, you can buy cable ... you can buy Olympics, you can buy football -- you can buy the Super Bowl -- you can buy Hulu.com, you can buy integrations into our films, you can buy integrations into our theme parks."

That's a lot of stuff for them to consider!

NBC is doing things differently this time around - and of course they need to on the network TV side of things. They're pretty much dead last in the ratings.

So why am I interested in this? Well, with the recent work I've been doing on "PINK" and with the new series I'm doing for Warner Bros. we're involved with Upfronts. For "PINK" it's really only geared towards the Internet (for now) and attracting a sponsor. This will happen in the next several weeks. For "Exposed" (the WB show) it happened last week in NYC. Our show was mentioned with all the other shows - current and upcoming - on The CW Network and on the new WB.com website ("Gossip Girl", etc.).

In the above mentioned quote from Jeff Zucker, he talks about Hulu.com. NBC owns this with FOX (I believe that's correct) and we are right now finalizing a deal to have Season One of "PINK" roll out there this summer before Season Two premieres (also on Hulu.com and elsewhere).

Here's a link to the entire story on the NBC Upfront, called "NBC Leading a Different Upfront Change". It's very interesting to see how all this stuff works.

Now I just need to make sure our shows are really good. :)

-Blake

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