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Streaming Dominates Upfronts, Signalling Major Shift in Ad Spend
Traditional TV advertising is losing ground to streaming platforms, even within major industry events like the Upfronts. Marketers are reallocating budgets to follow evolving consumer viewing habits, impacting future media buying strategies.
What Happened
- •The 'Upfronts', historically focused on national TV advertising, are increasingly centered on streaming inventory.
- •Billions in advertising dollars are still traded, but the emphasis has shifted away from linear television.
- •Madison Avenue's focus is now firmly on consumers engaging with content via streaming services.
- •This trend reflects a broader industry movement where ad spend follows audience migration to digital video platforms.
- •Traditional TV commercials are seeing reduced prominence in major advertising negotiations.
- •The article was published on 24 April 2026 by Variety.
Why It Matters for NZ Marketers
- •NZ marketers must reassess their media mix, acknowledging local audience migration from linear TV to streaming platforms.
- •Investment in local streaming services and global platforms with NZ audiences will become increasingly critical for reach.
- •The declining relevance of traditional TV upfronts globally foreshadows similar shifts in NZ's media buying landscape.
- •Agencies and brands in NZ need to upskill in programmatic and data-driven streaming ad buying.
- •Measuring cross-platform effectiveness, including streaming, becomes paramount for NZ campaigns.
- •This shift impacts local content funding models, as ad revenue moves away from traditional broadcasters.
Strategic Implications
- •Prioritise investment in diversified video advertising across various streaming platforms, not just linear TV.
- •Develop robust first-party data strategies to target audiences effectively within fragmented streaming environments.
- •Embrace advanced measurement solutions to track ROI across digital video and streaming channels.
- •Allocate resources to creative development specifically optimised for diverse streaming ad formats and viewer behaviours.
- •Foster partnerships with streaming providers to secure premium inventory and innovative ad opportunities.
- •Review existing media agency relationships to ensure expertise in the evolving streaming advertising ecosystem.
Future Trend Signals
- •The continued unbundling of content will further fragment audience attention, demanding more sophisticated targeting.
- •Programmatic buying will become the default for video advertising, including what was traditionally 'TV'.
- •Measurement will evolve towards unified cross-platform metrics, challenging traditional GRPs.
- •Increased competition for premium streaming ad inventory will drive up costs, necessitating smarter buying.
Sources
Editorial note: This analysis is original, AI-assisted editorial content. All source material is attributed with links. No full articles are reproduced. Short excerpts are used under fair dealing principles.
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