TV’s annual upfront week starts today with the usual glitzy presentations. There’s NBCUniversal this morning at Radio City Music Hall, Fox at 4 p.m. at New York City Center and Amazon tonight at the Beacon Theatre.

But ad buyers also got a new upfront invite this year—to a September event where companies including DoorDash, Albertsons, Home Depot and JPMorgan Chase will promote their retail media networks.

Just don’t expect celebrity cameos and pop-star serenades, Megan Graham writes for the WSJ Leadership Institute. 

Retail media networks offer advertisers a way to reach consumers in stores or online using customer data. But they “don’t have all the actors and comedians and late-night pundits,” said Susan MacDermid, founder of the Ascendant Network, the ad industry-focused events business organizing the retail networks’ upfront. “....It’s not going to be glitz and glamour.”

Presenters will instead emphasize their ability to generate demonstrable results, MacDermid said. “And I have to say, in this macroeconomic environment, that’s probably a good thing,” she said.

I asked Megan for more on the newest upfront.

Do retail networks have anything like the programming seasons and limited inventory that help drive advance ad sales for TV?

Megan: Yes. Inventory on Amazon's live sports, Walmart's brand takeover placements and what retailers call "digital end-caps" are just a few examples. With some of these types, brands are trying to reserve inventory far ahead of time.

It seems like every company with a consumer business now runs a retail network. In addition to networks from the likes of Amazon, Walmart, Target and Albertsons, there’s Chase Media Solutions, Marriott Media, Petco Advertising, Saks Media, Uber Advertising.... Are ad buyers truly going to keep up with all of these?

Megan: Though the sheer number of these is growing, the amount that marketers are working with directly is not, at least not from what I hear.

They might work with six on average, whereas several years ago they worked with four or so. And that's not likely to continue to grow a huge amount. There are only so many relationships and so much complexity marketers want to deal with. That's why we're hearing so much about industry rationalization, consolidation and data arrangements that make it easier to navigate for marketers across pools of these networks.

There’ll be plenty to see as the TV upfronts unfold this week.

Jimmy Kimmel will deliver his annual industry roast as the host of Disney’s pitch tomorrow, for example, again representing the company to the ad community despite the renewed skirmishing between the Trump administration and the late-night host. [MediaPost]

Disney is expecting 3,700 people at its event, which will feature 7 tons of moving LED walls, 120 speakers and “probably the largest lineup we’ve ever had in terms of the number of talent on stage.” [Adweek] 

As much as they turn out to see celebrities on stage, buyers want to hear about outcomes. [Ad Age] 

Some presenters also plan to play up agentic AI tools that can help plan and potentially buy ad inventory, framed as a way to simplify buyers’ work. [CNBC] 

Amazon in particular will turn ad tech from an upfront afterthought to a center-stage theme. [Digiday]

But TV still needs more comedies. Here’s a breakdown of what every network and streamer is missing as the upfronts begin. [Variety]

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NBC said a Wordle game show hosted by Savannah Guthrie will air in prime time next year. [NYT] 

Kalshi struck a deal to become the official prediction market of Madison Square Garden, where the sixth floor will be renamed the Kalshi Concourse. [Pollstar]

Dua Lipa sued Samsung, alleging that the company used her image on TV packaging without her consent. [Pitchfork] 

Nearly 10 years after Gawker shut down, its former staff continues to shape the internet. [THR]

Papa Johns is testing drone delivery—for sandwiches only. [Wired] 

Inspire Brands, the owner of Dunkin’, Arby’s and other fast-food chains, has filed confidentially for an initial public offering. [WSJ]

IMAX and Disney will battle head-to-head when “Dune: Part Three” and “Avengers: Doomsday” come out on the same day on rival large-format movie screens. [WSJ]

Barnes & Noble is on track to open 60 new locations this year, turning some rival bookshops’ initial support for the chain’s comeback into trepidation. [WSJ]