Upfronts season is one of the biggest moments on the media calendar - and 2026’s lineup has not yet disappointed. From bold new content slates to fresh approaches to data, creativity, and audience connection, each network brought something unique to the table. Here’s a quick snapshot of the key themes and 3 takeaways from this year’s Upfronts, as seen (and summarised) by the Kaimera team. We will be updating this as they flow in over the next few months.
Nine
Nine is building one connected ecosystem — TV, 9Now, Stan, publishing and now OOH via Nine Outdoor, creating more opportunities to reach audiences across their day.
Data is becoming the connective tissue — 9Tribes plus new data partnerships aim to improve audience understanding and activation across screens, platforms and physical environments.
Simpler buying, broader opportunities — Nine Neo, expanded Stan/Stan Sport inventory and commerce propositions like Shop Today are designed to make the ecosystem easier to buy and move brands further down the funnel.
Foxtel / DAZN Media+
Sport is firmly at the centre — DAZN Media+ is positioning the Foxtel ecosystem as a sports-led platform, with Kayo and live sport driving the proposition.
Better data and measurement are a major focus — new partnerships and first-party fan data promise greater visibility across reach, frequency, audiences and ROI.
Brands can move beyond traditional sponsorship — Club Kayo and dedicated creator teams give advertisers new ways to participate in sports culture through talent, content and fan communities.
Broadsheet
Travel remains a priority despite cost pressures — 84% of surveyed Broadsheet readers see travel as essential to wellbeing, but consumers are becoming more intentional about where they spend.
Experiences are increasingly driving destination choice — restaurants, events, hotels, culture and recommendations can spark the trip before a destination is even decided.
Brands need to influence earlier — the opportunity starts well before booking, with publishers, social content, recommendations and storytelling helping create the initial desire to travel.
SBS
SBS is taking its strengths beyond the screen — as our Investment Director, Ngita Bowers noted, SBS continues to play to its strengths in culture, food and sport, but its new partnerships extend that proposition across OOH, retail and creators, creating a more credible full-funnel offering “from couch, to community, to counter.”
New partnerships are expanding audience reach — partnerships with oOh!media, Multicultural Outdoor and Fabulate give advertisers new ways to extend SBS campaigns into outdoor, multicultural retail and the creator economy.
Measurement is shifting towards business outcomes — SBS is expanding its Data Lab with CommBank iQ and HYP, helping advertisers connect campaign exposure with measures including sales uplift, customer acquisition and consumer behaviour.
Amazon
Prime Video is growing its reach and advertising potential — now reaching more than 5.5 million ad-supported viewers monthly in Australia, Amazon is strengthening its position in the streaming landscape, with expanded content, live sport and partnerships creating more opportunities for advertisers to connect with audiences.
Shoppable and personalised ads are bringing content closer to commerce — new interactive formats, including Dynamic TV Creative and Next Up Ads, are designed to turn viewing moments into opportunities for engagement and action, leveraging Amazon's shopping and audience data to connect brand awareness with measurable outcomes.
AI and first-party data are simplifying campaign planning and optimisation — Amazon's new Ads Agent and expanded DSP capabilities aim to make campaign creation, targeting and measurement more efficient, while partnerships with platforms including Netflix extend Amazon's audience insights beyond its own ecosystem, strengthening its full-funnel proposition.
Samsung
Samsung is tackling TV fragmentation with data and incremental reach — with viewing data across 4.1 million Australian smart TV households, Samsung revealed that 44% of linear TV ad impressions are reaching just 6% of households. Its new Optimal Reach solution aims to help advertisers identify untapped audiences, manage frequency and reduce wasted spend across linear and streaming.
New ad formats and smarter targeting are expanding opportunities — Samsung is opening its TV Home Screen inventory to programmatic buying, introducing new video formats and launching Smart Outcome, an AI-powered solution designed to optimise campaigns towards measurable business results. Meanwhile, its new Samsung Television Network signals growing ambitions beyond hardware and advertising.
A new perspective on TV planning and buying — as our Chief Digital & Product Officer, Trent McMillan, noted, Samsung presented a surprisingly clear vision for tackling local advertising challenges, backed by its scale in devices and data. The opportunity now lies in how Samsung's insights can complement existing screen planning and buying approaches, helping advertisers navigate an increasingly fragmented TV landscape.
And we’re only getting started.
With plenty more Upfronts still to come between now and the end of November, we’ll continue to share the announcements, trends and opportunities that stand out — cutting through the noise to focus on what’s most relevant for advertisers.
Stay tuned for the next round of takeouts.
