A&E gets personal at the upfronts, and rises above the noise

From Campaign US: Quiz: How do you know it’s upfront season? Simple: Despite the rise in fragmentation and the record number of new programs expected across every imaginable platform, no executive can open his or her mouth without uttering the word “growth.” And the implied message from every suit is the importance of monetizing the non-linear environment.

But this year, one network — A&E — dared to do something different. And it was probably the most effective non-upfront presentation I have ever seen.

Nickelodeon kicked-off the cable portion of the upfront on March 2 touting its dominance among the non-adult demo groups and announcing that it will air as many as 700 fresh episodes of new and returning series this year. “On the simplest level, we are in the business of creating a lasting intellectual property to connect with the audience wherever they are,” said Nickelodeon Group President Cyma Zarghami. “And now we’re working on ways we can expand beyond our ecosystem and beyond our screens.”

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