For its 2026 Upfronts curtain-raiser, The Current asked six agency investment leads about their top priorities ahead of the network presentations. The negotiators said this upfront cycle marks a turning point as streaming matures into a must-buy channel, driven largely by the migration of live sports and an explosion of diverse content—from premium sports rights to creators and free ad-supported platforms.
The conversation has shifted from whether to invest in streaming to how to allocate dollars for maximum impact, with live sports emerging as a rare source of guaranteed mass reach in an increasingly fragmented TV landscape. “We have been focused on streaming for years, but what is different now about that focus is the maturation of streaming, how we need to accelerate our approach to planning, and what that means in terms of the value and outcomes we can deliver to our clients,” said Katie Klein, chief investment officer at Omnicom Media.