Upfronts

Pop art collage of an Amazon-branded Trojan horse rolling onto a Beacon Theatre stage carrying boxes labeled DSP, AMC, and Rufus while a holdco executive signs a multi-year contract.

Amazon Repurposed the Upfront Into a Multi-Year DSP Sales Cycle

Amazon used its 2026 upfront on May 11 to pitch holdco leaders on DSP, Amazon Marketing Cloud, Rufus ads, and a new unified buying system, not just primetime AV inventory. Ad tech contracts run on multi-year enterprise software cycles, which means the upfront's room of senior agency leaders

Isometric flat illustration of a TV upfront negotiation with holdco stacks, contract clauses highlighted, and an arbitrage spread arrow between buy and sell prices.

90% of Marketers Worry About Principal Media. Only 63% Have It in Contract.

The ANA's March 2026 principal media study found 58% of marketers used principal-based buying in the past year, up from 47% in 2024. Yet only 63% of agency contracts address it, and 90% of marketers say their top concern is whether the recommended inventory is in their best