Amazon is returning to New York’s Beacon Theatre for its annual upfront presentation to advertisers, slating the event for Monday, May 11.
The timing on the first night of a series of major upfronts, which was announced by the company at the start of CES in Las Vegas, is a reprise of last year’s lineup. Amazon hosted ad buyers at the Beacon last year, its third full-tilt upfront since throwing the switch to start running ads on Prime Video programming in early 2024. Previously, Amazon put on presentations during the NewFronts, a set of digital-only ad pitches held earlier in the spring.
This year’s upfront will feature programming from Prime Video, Prime Sports, Amazon MGM Studios, Twitch, Wondery, and Amazon Music. The tech giant will show off a range of innovations designed to help brands reach the company’s average monthly ad-supported audience of more 300 million viewers in the U.S. across Amazon owned-and-operated properties and third-party suppliers.
Amazon’s news follows word that NBCUniversal and Fox Corp. have also planned events for May 11, with Warner Bros. Discovery set for May 13. Other mainstays of the week, including Disney, YouTube, Netflix and TelevisaUnivision, have not confirmed their plans.
“Brands are seeking premium content, supported by advertising solutions that are simpler, faster, and performance-driven,” Amazon Ads VP of Global Ad Sales Alan Moss said in a statement. “By pairing Amazon’s incredible content portfolio with authenticated audience signals and dynamic creative capabilities, we’re helping advertisers deliver more relevant messages to consumers across the full funnel—while driving best-in-class performance and business impact.”
Amazon Ads said a virtual viewing option will be made available for those unable to join the upfront event in person in New York, with details to be announced at a later date.