This week, MiC has enlisted execs from the Canadian media industry to offer their insights on the big programming and advertising announcements coming out of the 2025 Upfronts in New York. Today, Adele Lettau, VP of investment and activation at Dentsu, reports on Warner Bros. Discovery’s Upfront presentation.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD)’s 2025 Upfront signals a clear message to the industry: the company is leaning into premium storytelling, cultural impact and audience engagement while reinforcing its legacy brands.
WBD kicked off it’s presentation showcasing a slate of new programming, advertising solutions, and the return of a familiar streaming brand name. Under the mission to “Be Like No Other,” the company laid out plans to rethink the media industry.
In a strategic move to harness the prestige of its flagship premium network, WBD announced that its streaming service Max will revert to its original name, HBO Max, this summer. The decision aims to reinforce the platform’s reputation for high-quality content and storytelling.
WBD also introduced several new advertising solutions: Neo, providing direct access to premium video inventory – streaming, linear FAST, and syndicated – with enhanced targeting and measurement capabilities; and DemoDirect, a streamlined linear TV tool allowing advertisers to target specific demographics across the WBD portfolio with a unified plan and pricing.
The rebranding of Max to HBO Max emphasizes a commitment to prestige content, while advertisers appear intrigued by the new ad solutions. However, some might note gaps, such as the absence of major new sports acquisitions following WBD’s loss of NBA rights to Amazon Prime Video, Disney and NBCUniversal. The network does, however, still hold broadcasting rights to MLB, NHL, Nascar, the FIFA World Cup and other sporting events.
The network’s content choices reflect an appeal to a broad spectrum – everything from DC superheroes to true crime, culinary shows and expanded women’s sports – suggesting a desire to captivate both mainstream and niche audiences.
WBD highlighted the success of The White Lotus (pictured), and the social amplification of can’t-miss-content. In an industry about selling impressions, to now making them, WBD showcased the “White Lotus Effect” and the spike in travel and fashion purchases from this past season.
WBD looks to carry through that strong content and conversations in their diverse slate of upcoming shows across multiple networks. John Cena took the stage and revealed that Peacemaker will be returning for season two, and trailers revealed for other upcoming new series included: Task, starring Mark Ruffalo, The Chair Company, Welcome to Derry, a prequel to Stephen King’s IT, and A Knight of Seven Kingdoms, another spin-off to highly renowned Game of Thrones.
New programming across their specialty networks showcased The Food Network’s Guy’s Flavortown Games and Family Recipe Showdown, OWN’s Heart & Hustle, Discovery’s Dancing with Sharks, ID’s They Know What They Did, TNT’s High Value Target, and HGTV’s Renovating the Bachelor Mansion, former Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants return to the house to compete in design challenges.
WBD also spoke to CNN’s growth with two new digital products – all access CNN (streaming service), and CNN Weather app – expanding its global coverage. CNN’s upcoming streaming service, set to debut in the fall, is seen as “the first true news streaming service” and a simple way to explore the very best of CNN journalism on mobile, connected TV and other digital devices.
The company concluded its presentation with DC Studios showcasing upcoming films Lanterns and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, as well as an exclusive preview of Superman, set to hit theaters on July 11. The film is positioned as a cornerstone of WBD’s broader DC Studios strategy, and mirroring the company’s emphasis on conversation-sparking content.
