Walt Disney Presents…A 2026 Upfront Merry-Go-Round of Content, Celebrities and Super Bowl Coverage
If Guinness, the famed chronicler of record-breaking milestones worldwide, ever decided to start a new category -- event packed to the gills with announcements, celebrity/personality appearances, and production numbers with the shortest run time -- here’s a suggestion. Start with Walt Disney Company’s 2026 Upfront fest Tuesday afternoon from North Javits Center. More than 100 members of the talent world came together for this presentation, which clocked under 100 minutes. What an accomplishment when you learn we’re including Jimmy Kimmel’s annual rant at the TV world.
The Big Message: For sheer variety of imaginative content that appeals to citizens of all ages and backgrounds, whether live, scripted, unscripted, or animated, Disney is more than a media kingpin. It’s the ultimate advertiser playground and getting bigger with Disney+ and ESPN’s megacontent service. Josh D’Amaro, making one of his first industry event appearances as Disney’s chief executive officer, put it this way: “Disney is in a category of one. In a world of infinite choice, that kind of presence is rare and getting rarer.”
Hosts: D’Amaro and Rita Ferro, the company’s global advertising president, offered their respective remarks within the first 30 minutes. Before and after, a parade of on-air notables from various Disney TV services dominated the stage.
What Worked: The sheer breadth and depth of Disney content highlighted throughout the presentation. Every project appeared to get the right amount of time to impact the audience, while making a case for ad support. There wasn’t a boring moment to be had. Extra credit to the organizers for maintaining a focus on content.
What Also Worked: Fun unexpected moments, such as having ESPN’s College Gameday co-hosts make predictions on who will win college football’s championship game next January -- on the record. Their picks: (Desmond Howard/Notre Dame, Nick Saban/Alabama, Pat McAfee/Ohio State, Kirk Herbstreit/Miami). WWE champ Cody Rhodes played guest picker, taking Georgia.
What Can Work Here: Further comments from D’Amaro on his vision for Disney+, after labeling the service the company’s centerpiece in his first conference call with financial analysts the previous week. Just offer a few ideas on how Disney+ will reach centerpiece status through interactivity, commerce, and new content directions. Also, what’s up with the planned 24-hour ABC/Disney+/Hulu simulcast of America’s 250th birthday festivities nationwide? Not a word.
Data Points: CollegeGameday’s 2025 season had 1.1 billion social media views last fall. Inside The NBA’s move from TNT to ESPN/ABC resulted in a 142 percent lift in viewership this past NBA regular season. Good Morning America on ABC reaches 27 million viewers per week.
News: Conan O’Brien will return for his third consecutive Academy Awards host gig on ABC/Hulu next winter. Upcoming new FX scripted series include The Shards (from executive producer Ryan Murphy) and Cry Wolf, with Hulu launching football family saga The Land and miniseries Count My Lies during late 2026 or 2027. Disney+ will bring the second season of Ahsoka (with Rosario Dawson) to its lineup early next year.
Bonus Points: Forty current and former professional Dancing with the Stars performers unite on stage for a rip-roaring routine. Can’t get enough of that ballroom stuff. And for the finale, Grammy award-winning singer Olivia Rodrigo, who launched her career at Disney when she was 13 years old, rocks the house with a trio of songs. “Get It Back,” her closing number, ended with 11-year-old Jane Kimmel (Jimmy’s daughter) coming up on stage to sing a chorus and prance around the stage with Rodrigo.
Parting Words: “Disney became a magical portal that opened up my whole life.” -- The Devil Wears Prada/The Devil Wears Prada 2 star Anne Hathaway, introducing Disney chief executive Josh D’Amaro
“One Atlanta Falcons fan in the crowd. May be a long season ahead for him.” -- ESPN NFL Monday Night Football sportscaster Joe Buck
“This will be the next big Disney sports story.” -- The Landco-star William H. Macy
“This is what you call a big apple (affair). One for the books.” -- Robert Downey Jr., speaking about the presentation
And now…some choice sentences from Jimmy Kimmel’s near-closing monologue:
“I’m going through such b-hit, but this year, I now appreciate all the data b-hit…We’ve got the Super Bowl next year, and we’re going to milk the whole beejezus out of it…NCIS: NYanswers the question: What would happen if LL Cool J was matched up with another white guy?...Seriously, is NBC f-ing the mayor of Chicago?...On ABC, except for all the domestic violence, we’re doing really great…
Posted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership self-publishing platform.
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Simon Applebaum
Simon Applebaum has covered the TV medium for more than 38 years. Now a regular MediaVillage columnist, he produces and hosts Tomorrow Will Be Televised, a program all about TV, now in its 12th year. Previously, he was a senior editor for various TV-centric …
