Disney's Upfront Presentation: A Dazzling Display of Cultural Dominance and Diversity

The Big Message: Nobody offers the quantity, quality and diversity of ways to reach viewers like Disney, and this fall's launch of Disney+'s advertiser-supported tier -- timed with the company's 100^th birthday -- will only bolster that ability to everyone's benefit. "We brought iconic shows and characters to life in new and entertaining ways," noted Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek, who opened the show. "We've defined and redefined the entertainment landscape. We're unrivaled, and we want to give more choices than ever before."

Hosts: A selection of Disney executives led by Chapek, Disney Advertising Sales and Partnerships President Rita Ferro (pictured at top) and Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution Chairman Kareem Daniel (pictured above). Solid delivery from each executive speaker.

What Worked: Effective use of celebrity after celebrity throughout the presentation, starting with Only Murders in the Building co-stars Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin. Take your pick of memorable moments here, whether they involved appearances by Kris and Khloe Kardashian (who introduced "Kamy," a previously unknown member of the family, pictured below left), the cast of freshman hit Abbott Elementary or new NFL Monday Night Football duo Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. My faves: Kerry Washington disclosing that her association with Disney started as a child actor in an ABC Afterschool Special, and Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo thanking the crowd for supporting TV's longest-running medical drama that has inspired many women to enter the medical profession.

What Also Worked: First peeks at several Disney+ exclusive attractions coming soon, including the Enchanted sequel Disenchantedand new Marvel series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. And, of course, the annual Upfront bashing by Jimmy Kimmel (pictured below).

What Didn't Work: A video of rapid-fire scenes from upcoming scripted series, miniseries and movies on various Disney services. If you didn't watch the screens at either side of the stage, you missed the name of each attraction at the bottom of the picture. Even worse, no matter what screen you watched, there was no identification of where the content will run -- FX, Hulu, Freeform, Disney Channel, ABC, Disney+ or elsewhere.

Bonus Points: Three to highlight here. First, ESPN reporter Holly Rowe hosting an extended sequence about recent sports champions, featuring unbilled appearances from members of South Carolina's NCAA women's basketball team, Summer Olympics gymnastics medal-winner Suni Lee and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford. Rowe (pictured below with Lee) was on her A-game. Second, a post-presentation reception where individual food stations spotlighted ABC affiliates. And third, Jimmy Kimmel coming through with his annual skewering of everything Upfronts live via Zoom. Testing positive for coronavirus a few hours earlier couldn't keep Kimmel down.

Data Points: Disney's TV content portfolio reaches 93 percent of U.S. adults [18 and over] and 92 percent of multicultural audiences. Investment in original content will go up 93 percent through 2025. College football coverage on ABC and ESPN's set of channels attracted 100 million viewers last Labor Day weekend. Abbott Elementary was ABC's highest-rated comedy series since the 2018-19 season.

News: Hawkeye character Maya Lopez, played by Alaqua Cox, will get her own Disney+ series next year, titled Echo. Marvel Studios will film the series in and around Atlanta. The XFL winter-spring football league, whose opening season three years ago was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be back in 2023, with all games running on ESPN, FX and ABC. Twelve Disney+ made-for-TV movies will appear this year, and more than 35 additional titles are in development or production for debut in 2023 and beyond. At ABC, three new primetime series will launch this fall: The Rookie spinoff Feds [starring Niecy Nash-Betts], newspaper drama Alaska with Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank, and Celebrity Jeopardy!, paired with Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune Sunday nights.

Parting Words: "There's no question we're the best in the world at what we do." -- Kareem Daniel, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution Chairman

"Disney+ puts advertiser-supported-on-demand opportunities on a scale all our own." -- Rita Ferro, Disney Advertising Sales and Partnerships President

"Working with Steve Martin and Martin Short is the best community service I've ever done." -- Only Murders in the Building co-star Selena Gomez

"Advertisers, this is what winning looks like." -- ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, concluding her sports champions segment

"[Bob Chapek] has never spoken at an Upfront … and now we know why. Can't wait to see you in G.I. Jane 2! … Every year I said, 'f--- you, Netflix,' and today it's true. They may not get Emily back from Paris … This Is Us [is] a Lifetime movie that ran six years … This could be the last Upfront before ABC turns into a Spirit Halloween [pop-up] store." -- Jimmy Kimmel in his closing monologue

Click the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleagues.

The opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author and/or subject(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.com/MyersBizNet, Inc. management or associated writers.