Disney Upfront promises big surprises for viewers over the next year

NEW YORK — Whether it’s the roaring crowd at a championship game, a packed movie theater traveling together to a galaxy far, far away, or millions of televisions turning on in unison for that show everyone can’t stop talking about, Disney is the place that continues creating magic for fans of just about everything.

As for what’s next, that’s coming soon as we get a sneak peek at the Disney Upfront.

Rita Ferro, President of Global Advertising for The Walt Disney Company, says it is star-studded, with big announcements.

This year is the biggest of them all.

“Brace yourself, because it is going to be the biggest event we’ve done,” Ferro said.

So how do you explain the Upfront to the viewer?

“It’s when all of the media companies come together and present to the advertisers what they’re going to be rolling out next year,” Ferro said. “It used to be that all the shows would launch at the beginning of the year or midseason. Now, with streaming platforms like Disney+ and Hulu, you have shows that come on all year long. So, you’re actually showing full-year content slates and everything that’s coming to the platform.”

She said it’s not only the new shows, but also movies that are in theaters that will eventually come to streaming platforms.

“It’s also about incredible sports and the momentum we have across ESPN and our platform, along with all of these incredible live moment events like the Oscars, the Grammys, the Super Bowl and the College Football Championship,” Ferro said. “You have the Grammys one Sunday and the Super Bowl on Valentine’s Day.”

As for what audiences can expect to see, Ferro hinted at several surprises.

“Ryan Murphy has been with us forever, and there is a big announcement from him and his team,” she said. “One of the things I’m super excited about is the announcement we’re going to be making around ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ Our new CEO is going to be on stage. There’s just a lot.”