"Marketers no longer wait until the official upfronts week in May to think through their TV and video buying strategies. In fact, these types of conversations don't have a set timeframe at all, several industry veterans told AdExchanger. Rather, they're now happening on a near-constant basis. If any single event can be considered the jumping-off point for TV upfronts, it's the Consumer Electronics Showcase (CES), which kicks off this week in Las Vegas, Nevada."
"CES was already a useful event for marketers prior to 2020. But it became essential following the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped accelerate the blurring of lines between media and technology and elevated streaming video's importance as a viable advertising channel. Against that backdrop, CES is "no longer just a gadget show," said Courtney Howell, head of agency development at Samsung Ads. Nor is it simply an outlet for industry players to schmooze with one another (although that certainly happens, too)."
"For the last five years, for example, Disney has hosted its own "Global Tech and Data Showcase" at CES, which focuses on the company's data, measurement and campaign-optimization products. At 400 in-person and 1,200 virtual attendees expected this year, the showcase is certainly smaller than Disney's main upfront presentation, which was seen by nearly eight times as many people in 2025. But Disney's advertising team is expecting to have over 125 individual meetings during the week of CES."
Marketers now plan TV and video buying strategies continuously rather than waiting for the May upfronts. Conversations around TV upfronts are happening near-constantly, with CES serving as the practical kickoff for many buyers and sellers. The pandemic accelerated the convergence of media and technology and raised streaming video as a central advertising channel. CES has evolved into a strategic marketing forum where companies reveal product and measurement priorities, host showcases, and hold numerous meetings. Major advertisers like Disney use CES to present data and optimization products and to conduct large volumes of planning meetings.
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