Media Buying Briefing: The upfront has started to move, as sports leads the way again

June 08, 2026

By Michael Bürgi The 2026 upfront marketplace has begun to move, with both holding company media agencies as well as some independents cutting deals, principally with media sellers that control both linear TV and streaming options.

As expected, sports inventory is the principal bait that sellers have put on their hooks to land client dollars — but haggling over pricing and placement in Super Bowl LXI next February has slowed down some negotiations. This is a member-exclusive article from Digiday. Continue reading it on digiday.com and subscribe to continue reading content like this. …read more

Source:: Digiday