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What Upfronts '25 Just Taught Us About Jobs
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What Upfronts '25 Just Taught Us About Jobs

Sports, live, ad tech, AI: The industry’s heading one way — here’s how to make sure your career goes along for the ride

Elaine Low's avatar
Elaine Low
May 19, 2025
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What Upfronts '25 Just Taught Us About Jobs
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GOOD SPORTS From left: Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley shared the stage with Disney CEO Bob Iger. (Disney/Michael Le Brecht)

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I write about TV from L.A. I interviewed Universal TV president Erin Underhill about the new deal structure her studio is beta-testing with writers and MRC’s Jenna Santoianni about how indie studios can beat the big guys. I’m at elaine@theankler.com

Hello from Los Angeles! It’s been a beat since I could say that, having spent the last couple of Mondays in Denver for Series Fest with Uni TV’s Erin Underhill and then in New York for Upfronts. Yesterday I was at the DGA Theater here interviewing What We Do In the Shadow’s EP and director Yana Gorskaya and Severance cinematographer and director Jessica Lee Gagné onstage at The Ankler’s full-house and pretty awesome event about the art of TV directing, which we put on in partnership with the Directors Guild and Threads.

I’ll have more for you in a future column about what was said, but it was good vibes all around — and you’ll love the answers that these and other TV helmers shared with me and my colleagues Katey Rich (see her below with Hacks’ co-showrunner and director Lucia Aniello) and Lesley Goldberg about how to find optimism in the industry today.

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Speaking of optimism . . . the Upfronts did their best to convey plenty of it, plus bullishness about the future of TV viewing. Easier said than done. This was my third time in three years attending the Madison Avenue-palooza, and none have been what anyone would call “normal.” My first Upfronts happened days after the WGA strike began (I split my time watching presentations on the inside and interviewing picketers outside); last year, Amazon and Netflix crashed the party in a big way; and this year’s Upfronts comes when both Hollywood and the economy are in some serious flux.

The glitzy presentations function as both a sign of the times and as a bellwether, signaling where the industry thinks the ball is headed (or trying to convince advertisers they know). In 2025, sports and live events are the star players in every roster, commanding higher ad rates and coveted viewer attention. 

Speaking to Disney’s ad sales head Rita Ferro and WBD ad sales co-chiefs Ryan Gould and Bobby Voltaggio ahead of Upfronts, the vibe was what I would call measured bullishness. That largely played out on stage last week. 

Like & Subscribe’s Natalie Jarvey, Sean McNulty and I handed out the first-ever Ankler Uppies on the pod, rating the winners and losers of this spring’s event on the pod (remember to, uh, like & subscribe!):

Today I’m going in to the major takeaways from Upfronts 2025, and crucially, what they say about the the future of work in Hollywood — remember all these messages on the stage were coming straight from the top, and their teams are now here to execute on those visions.

We talk a lot in this newsletter about where the jobs are, where they increasingly aren’t and the emerging sectors that look like job creators (a refresher):

Where The TV Jobs Are Now (And Not)

Where The TV Jobs Are Now (And Not)

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February 5, 2024
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Where the Jobs Are (and Aren't), Part II

Where the Jobs Are (and Aren't), Part II

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March 13, 2024
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Where the Jobs Are (and Aren't) in 2025

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December 16, 2024
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Jobs! Talent Ditches Hollywood for the Creator Economy

Jobs! Talent Ditches Hollywood for the Creator Economy

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But with Upfronts, we have a different kind of crystal ball. The advertiser focus on sports and AI tools should give you a sign.

Today I’ll give you:

  • The definitive takeaways from the Upfronts and what they signal about what the coming 12 months might mean for you

  • The top trends that emerged and how to tap into them, no matter your role in the entertainment ecosystem

  • What both scripted and unscripted sellers should be incorporating in their pitches NOW

  • The move toward shoppable, game-able, interactive storytelling

  • Skills people on the marketing and ad sides of Hollywood need to learn now or fall behind

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First of all, let me set the table on some general job advice after seeing the presentations, and then I’ll dive in to each streamer’s and studio’s presentation:

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