I’m usually a sceptic when it comes to upfronts, writes Chris Walton, Sydney MD of Nunn Media. But while he was less sceptical than other years, there remains one big, unanswered question for him.
The enthusiasm can be predictable, the praise in the trade press often feels obligatory, and every network seems convinced it has a compelling year ahead where the only way will be up.
But credit where credit is due – as this year’s Upfront season closes, I’ve come away genuinely impressed by what I’ve seen. The ambition is there, strategy is clear and content looks very strong. Australian audiences have plenty to look forward to in 2027.
But there was one question I wanted them all to spend more time answering: how are these companies going to get Australians to watch and listen to what they have to offer? If the role of upfronts is to get advertisers and buyers excited about what is to come, then showing how
they intend to entice, corral and attract an audience to view and listen is an important part of this.
From a media agency’s perspective, great content is only part of the equation. How valuable is great content if nobody watches or listens to it? Whilst all the upfronts I attended devoted considerable attention to what content they have, there was little, if any, emphasis on how the
content will be marketed and discovered by those they want to ultimately consume it.
That matters because we are operating in a market of extraordinary choice, but finite attention.
With about 30 streaming platforms now available in Australia, we are drowning in content. According to ACMA, 91 per cent of Australian adults watch video through an online service in a typical week. Two-thirds pay for a streaming service, while more than half still watch traditional free-to-air television. These audiences overlap, of course, but these figures illustrate the intense competition for our time.
And the pressure is not simply about competing platforms. It’s about competing priorities. Deloitte’s 2025 Media & Entertainment Consumer Insights report found Australians spent an average of just under 43 hours a week engaging with media and entertainment. This is down
3.4 per cent on the previous year, and this followed a much larger decline between 2023 and 2024.
We are paying for more entertainment choices, but spending less time consuming them. The implication is clear: producing and securing great content does not automatically create viewing.
The challenge will only intensify as global streamers, social platforms, broadcasters, podcasts and creators continue to compete for the same finite pool of attention. Discoverability is becoming as important as availability. Audiences need a reason to choose a programme, know when and where to find it, and need to feel compelled to make time for it.
This requires more than a strong trailer at launch or a few promotional spots. An engaging, call-to-arms upfront each Spring is, in reality, a mere footnote. What is becoming increasingly important for all our media partners (except perhaps out-of-home) is intelligent marketing:
building anticipation, reaching audiences with impact, and giving talent and formats a life beyond the screen or studio.
I’d love to see future upfronts give this subject more priority. Tell us not only what you’re making, but how you intend to make Australians care about it. This will increase our confidence to back great content.
I’m very optimistic about the quality of what’s coming. The depth and breadth of new content being offered to us in Australia is brilliant. The challenge now is how to translate that quality into audiences. In a market overflowing with choice, the winners won’t simply be those with the
best content. They’ll be those who give people the strongest reasons to watch.
