Time was that the US networks would each order seven, eight, ten or twelve new TV shows each season, providing Canadian broadcast show-fetchers a suitcase full of distractibles to defrost the North. Not anymore, Snow Birds. At the recent US upfronts in New York, which were dominated for the first time by streaming platform news,
Last, but certainly not least among Canada’s media companies to hold a virtual upfront to advertisers this week was Bell Media. Their pre-packaged ad reel went “live” around 2 p.m. ET and, while there was one drop out on my screen for a minute or two, it wrapped up at the 3:07 mark. Bell boasted
Global framed their 43 minute, virtual upfront presentation Wednesday with an old-fashioned “let’s put on a show” approach. Food Network Canada host Noah Cappe kidded around as the director of the virtual video, introducing Corus execs such as Doug Murphy, Troy Reeb and Barb McKergow. Hey, it’s been a long year in lockdown. Things opened
The return of Canada’s Got Talent, six hours of Dick Wolf drama imports and the launch of Bachelor in Paradise Canada were all among the headlines at Tuesday’s Rogers Sports and Media virtual Upfront presentation to advertisers. This is a busy week in Canadian television. I had to interrupt my screening of the Rogers Sports
Bell Media’s annual Upfront to advertisers is a week away, but they’ve already released what imports they’ll be featuring on CTV and specialty platforms in 2021-22. Thursday’s announcement includes many of the September starts revealed last month from American broadcasters. In past year’s CTV and other Canadian programming executives would fly to LA and bid
CBC whipped through their virtual, on-line Upfront 2021 presentation Wednesday like it was an Olympic event — fitting since they’re Canada’s host broadcaster for both this summer’s Tokyo Games as well as the Beijing Winter Games in 2020. It took just 33 minutes for the public broadcaster to promote 35 new and returning series from
Fire up the Tiki torch and pass the Doritos: CBS is bringing Survivor back next fall. The 20-yearold reality series will return after a year off due to the coronavirus pandemic. Its return will be not a moment too soon for Global, which has feasted on their most valuable import and sagged without it in
NBC and Fox added just three new shows to their fall schedules. ABC announced Tuesday that they can do it in two. Upfront Week has become “Name That Tune.” So far, this does not leave content-starved Canadian networks with much to import. Buyers from CTV, Citytv and Global can binge the entire list of new