Marketers Are Getting It All Wrong for Upfronts NewFronts Season and Nielsen’s Data Proves It
The media landscape has never been more complex—or more full of opportunity. As brands and agencies prepare for the 2025-2026 Upfronts/NewFronts season, Nielsen’s latest cross-media insights offer a reality check on audience behavior, media consumption, and advertising effectiveness. Here are the top three takeaways every communicator needs to understand to build smarter media strategies.
The Battle Between Streaming and Linear Is Over—They Must Work Together
For years, advertisers have been stuck in a false binary: streaming vs. linear. Nielsen’s data confirms that convergent TV is now the norm, with consumers seamlessly shifting between traditional and digital platforms. Connected TV (CTV) advertising continues to grow, projected at 10% annually through 2027, while ad-supported streaming (AVOD and FAST TV) is outpacing paid subscriptions (SVOD). Yet, live sports and high-value events are keeping linear TV relevant, commanding massive real-time audiences.
Stop treating streaming and linear as separate strategies. The smartest media plans will integrate both, leveraging CTV’s digital targeting and linear’s mass reach to build cohesive, cross-platform storytelling.
Audience Targeting Must Go Beyond Age and Gender
Traditional demographics are no longer enough. Nielsen’s research highlights the shift toward advanced audience segmentation, where factors like household income, cultural identity, and specific consumer behaviors are driving more precise targeting. For example, high-income viewers watch more cable than the general population, while younger, diverse audiences over-index on streaming. Advertisers are increasingly using programmatic tools, first-party data onboarding, and biddable private marketplaces to refine their audience strategies.
Media buyers and sellers must focus on who they’re reaching, not just where. Brands should work with media partners that offer transparent, deduplicated cross-media measurement to ensure they are hitting the right audiences with the right message.
Retail Media and Shoppable Ads Are Reshaping the Advertising Ecosystem
Retail media is exploding, and its intersection with streaming is creating new opportunities for advertisers. Shoppable TV ads, connected second-screen experiences, and AI-driven product placements are giving brands direct access to consumers at the moment of purchase intent. Nielsen reports that 68% of global marketers say retail media is now a critical part of their strategy, and its rapid integration with CTV platforms is making it an advertising game-changer.
Brands need to think beyond traditional ad formats. The next phase of media planning requires integrating TV with digital commerce, making advertising not just about storytelling but also about immediate, measurable consumer action.
The 2025-2026 Upfronts/NewFronts season is a turning point. Advertisers who embrace convergent TV, advanced audience targeting, and retail media innovations will be best positioned to capture audiences where they are and where they’re going. Communicators need to champion integrated, data-driven strategies that connect content, audience insights, and commerce in ways that drive measurable outcomes.
The future isn’t about choosing between platforms—it’s about mastering them all.
