From creators to cinematic moments, brands are stepping into culture like never before—here’s what it means for entertainment marketers.

1. Unscripted Takes the Spotlight

Scripted series may still dominate award shows, but unscripted competition formats are dominating network investment. These shows are built for multi-platform engagement, live conversation, and cultural virality—making them brand magnets.

• Netflix is banking on Star Search and Golden Ticket.
• NBC is weaving brand identity into content with On Brand with Jimmy Fallon.
• CBS is introducing The Road, a reality-based journey series with emotional storytelling potential.

Why it matters:
These formats create highly visible and participatory moments for audiences. For brands, it’s no longer about finding space around content—it’s about embedding within it.

2. Film Is Now a Media Centerpiece

Upfronts used to be all about series. Now, studios are putting movies front and center—treating them as cultural events that live across screens, timelines, and audiences.

• Wicked 2 was the jewel in NBCUniversal’s crown.
• Amazon spotlighted its film slate with projects like Head of State starring John Cena.

What it signals:
Films are no longer just big-screen moments. They’re brand platforms—rich with integration opportunities across social, experiential, and digital. Studios are inviting marketers to collaborate on the cultural rollout, not just the media buy.

3. Sports Remains the Centerpiece

Sports continue to be essential for network programming strategy, both live sports and sports-adjacent content. Every major media company spotlighted their sports offerings. The growing trend: sports storytelling beyond the game—especially docuseries that unpack origin stories, rivalries, and behind-the-scenes drama. Fans want the narrative behind the game, not just the game itself. Brands have more ways than ever to partner with sports-oriented programming.

Examples include:

• Disney ESPN’s Vibe Check, a new women-led sports-focused studio show to premiere on Disney+.
• Amazon’s six-part series about the New York Jets and a six-part docu-series about female CEOs, executive produced by Serena Williams.

Why it matters:
The emotional depth and cultural relevance of sports storytelling present rich ground for brand integrations. These narratives are no longer just for sports fans—they’re culture drivers, bringing new audiences and marketing opportunities into the fold.

4. Creators Are Becoming the Content

The gap between traditional talent and creators is officially closing. This year’s presentations made clear: digital-native stars and social-first formats are moving to the front of the stage.

• Tubi highlighted Sidelined: The QB and Me, a creator-driven original starring TikTok’s Noah Beck.
• Snapchat and YouTube are developing creator-hosted IP and talent-led formats built for Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumption.

For marketers:
If your strategy still separates “influencers” from “content,” it’s outdated. Today’s audiences trust creators to be tastemakers—and brands must adapt by co-creating with them, not simply sponsoring them.

5. Platforms Are Now Creative Ecosystems

At the NewFronts, platforms didn’t just pitch inventory—they pitched creative infrastructure. Nearly every platform is becoming a one-stop shop for creator collaborations, cultural context, and branded storytelling.

• YouTube launched an updated Creator Partnerships Hub.
• Snapchat doubled down on original content with Under the Ghost and its Live Nation collab.
• TikTok and Meta rolled out new tools like Pulse Core and Trending Reels Ads that allow brands to ride the wave of real-time culture.

What’s changing:
It’s easier than ever to build cultural relevance at scale—without starting from scratch. Platforms are removing friction, allowing brands to move faster and smarter in how they show up in front of audiences.

6. Context Is King

Across both events, one theme echoed loud and clear: cultural adjacency > interruption. Platforms are now giving brands better tools to align with what people are watching, talking about, and caring about—rather than crashing the party with out-of-place spots.

• TikTok Pulse Core connects brands with trending and premium content simultaneously.
• Meta’s Trending Reels seamlessly inserts ads into viral creator content across Instagram and Facebook.

For agencies:
It’s time to build brand strategies around the culture your audience is already immersed in—not force them to notice you. The smartest plays in 2025 will look less like ads and more like contributions to the narrative.

Final Thought: From Visibility to Value

The 2025 Upfronts and NewFronts proved that content isn’t just what audiences consume—it’s where they connect, comment, and co-create. For entertainment marketers, the mandate is clear: don’t just chase attention—earn it.

Whether through a creator-led series, a film premiere, a behind-the-scenes sports doc, or a platform-native idea, brands have never had more ways to be meaningfully embedded in entertainment. But the bar is higher than ever. Success won’t come from buying space—it’ll come from building relevance.

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