TV Ad Market Softens As NBCU Sees Flat Volume in Upfront

Happy birthday to Margot Robbie! The Australian actress celebrated her 32nd birthday on the set of her forthcoming movie “Barbie”. 

Margot Robbie is getting a special visit on set!

This might be the most casual outfit we’ve seen Margot Robbie wear so far for Barbie!

Greta Gerwig’s in-progress film, “Barbie,” being bleach blond and rocking hot pink ensembles is no longer limited to the iconic Mattel doll.Plenty of Barbie girls, inspired by the movie’s star, Margot Robbie, and her parade of pretty pink outfits, have taken over TikTok, bringing the Barbiecore trend to life.The hashtag #Barbiecore has more than 7 million views on TikTok and, according to Google Trends data, interest in Barbie has spiked to new heights as fans wait for the live-action movie, set to be released next year.But it’s Robbie’s uncanny resemblance to the original blond Barbie that has hordes of people — and celebrities — thinking pink.Photos of the 31-year-old Australian babe riding in a pink corvette and rollerblading at Venice Beach — with Robbie fashioned in all pink, of course — had fans reeling on TikTok, where the hashtag #MargotRobbieBarbie racked up 4.2 million views in a matter of days.“I just wanna say that seeing these paparazzi photos of the filming of ‘Barbie’ makesme wanna see this movie so freakin’ bad,” TikToker Kirbie Johnson gushed in a clip with over 325,000 views.And it’s not just women clamoring for Barbie, everyone’s favorite childhood toy who celebrated her 60th anniversary in 2019. Marvel’s “Shang-Chi” star, Simu Liu, signed onto the film after his agent called the “Barbie” script one of the best he’d ever read and convinced him to audition for a role.“He literally said this verbatim,” Liu told GQ UK.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorTV networks continue to fare better than expected in the current “upfront” market as they harness streaming video and sports — and a willingness to accept lower rates — in order to keep Madison Avenue’s money flowing.NBCUniversal said it wrapped its upfront negotiations in the annual upfront, and could have seen advance advertising commitments for NBC’s primetime schedule rise by as much as 20%. Variety estimates that upfront commitments for NBC primetime could total between $3.2 billion and $3.4 billion, compared with  between $2.68 billion and $2.98 billion for its primetime broadcast inventory in 2021.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorOscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran is behind the “Barbie” costumes that are going viral on the internet. Variety has confirmed Gerwig has teamed up with her “Little Women” costume designer to bring Barbie and her neon world to life.Photos of Margot Robbie, who is playing Barbie, and Ryan Gosling, playing Ken, have been circulating on social media for several weeks. In one viral photo, the duo are seen rocking hot pink neon spandex outfits while rollerblading along Venice Beach. The Oscar nominees were accessorized with bright yellow rollerblades along with matching kneepads.“Barbie” remains high on the list of most anticipated projects for 2023.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorTelevisaUnivision had something to sell in this year’s TV upfront market that many of its English-language counterparts did not: growing linear audiences.The Spanish-language media giant has finished its upfront negotiations and expects to see rising volume of advance commitments for its advertising, according to a person familiar with the matter. This person says TelevisaUnivision anticipates a double-digit-percentage increase in volume, with CPMs, or the cost of reaching 1,000 viewers, rising as much as 8% to 9%.Like other TV networks in the midst of selling upfront inventory this year, TelevisaUnivision noted significant advertiser interest in sports and streaming. Advertisers proved interested in the company’s soccer broadcasts, and saw ad investment in its streaming-video outlet, ViX more than double.

Margot Robbie is back at work on the set of Barbie.

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson admits he was nervous for the phone call to turn down an Iceland international call this summer for the benefit of the upcoming campaign with Bolton Wanderers.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorMadison Avenue’s growing interest in sports and streaming video helped Fox Corp. nab new ad dollars amid a softening market.The owner of the Fox broadcast network, Fox Sports and Fox News Channel expects an uptick in advertising commitments made in advance of its next programming schedule, according to a person familiar with the matter, as the company becomes the latest media outlet to wrap negotiations in the industry’s annual “upfront.”Advertisers were interested in Tubi, Fox’s ad-supported streaming hub; the company’s sports events; and its Fox News programming, this person said, among other offerings.The company could see an uptick of volume committed to its primetime broadcast schedule in the mid-single-digit percentage range.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorSir Nick Faldo, who has helped call golf tournaments for CBS Sports alongside Jim Nantz for years, plans to step down from his role as CBS Sports’ lead golf analyst in August.Faldo, who has held the role of CBS Sports’ lead golf analyst since 2007, will be replaced by Trevor Immelman, who joined CBS Sports’ golf team in 2019. His new multi-year deal with CBS Sports will begin with its 2023 coverage, when he sits with Nantz for the Farmers Insurance Open.“Sir Nick has had a remarkable career on Network television for nearly 20 years and is one of the most accomplished commentators to ever sit in the 18th tower,” said Sean McManus, chairman, of CBS Sports, in a statement.  “Nick brought the same passion and dedication that propelled him to the world’s number one golfer to our broadcasts.