Apr 29, 2026 Company News
At Paramount, great storytelling has always been the focus. But the way stories reach audiences, and how brands connect with them, continues to evolve. This year’s series of Upfront events reflects that evolution, bringing together creative ambition, cutting-edge technology, and meaningful conversations with advertising partners in an environment designed for connection.
These gatherings, hosted by Paramount Advertising in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, are the first under the leadership of Chief Revenue Officer Jay Askinasi and showcase a unified Paramount portfolio built for the future of advertising.
While many media companies traditionally host large-scale events, Paramount has found success with more intimate, tailored Upfront presentations for advertising partners. This approach is designed to foster a two-way conversation while still delivering the premium execution, creativity, and star-powered moments that define the Paramount brand.
As Askinasi told partners in the room, “please consider this an open invite to engage in dialogue and true partnership; we’re committed to being on this journey together, building the next chapter of Paramount with you and your brands.”
This year’s theme -- “Powered by Story, Accelerated by Technology” -- maps to Paramount Advertising’s go-to-market narrative and comes to life the moment guests enter each Upfront venue. The New York space is designed to provide an immersive view of Paramount’s vast universe of intellectual property, uniting iconic franchises, breakthrough originals, live sports, news, and tentpole events.
Much of that IP came to life with talent appearances including Lioness’s Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña, The Drew Barrymore Show’s Drew Barrymore, Dutton Ranch’s Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, Landman’s Ali Larter, Sam Elliott and Billy Bob Thornton, NCIS’s LL Cool J, The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart and Ronny Chieng, and cast members from series Ghosts, Marshals and more. Each night was capped with an exclusive musical performance, with performers like Wyclef Jean and The Black Crowes.
Senior Paramount leaders presented at the Upfront events, including David Ellison, Chairman and CEO, Dane Glasgow, Chief Product Officer, and Cindy Holland, Chair of Direct-to-Consumer, joining Askinasi and Danielle Carney, Head of U.S. Sales, in outlining a simplified, integrated approach to the marketplace that focused on how content, product and ad innovation work together implicitly to generate measurable outcomes for Paramount’s advertising partners.
Central to that message is Paramount’s commitment to innovation and advertiser solutions. For example, Paramount Advertising has seen great success with Streaming Fixed Units – which guarantee premium placement around Paramount’s biggest shows. The Upfront was also a major moment to introduce Paramount Media Labs, our in-house creative studio, which connects brands directly to the company’s storytellers, IP and content from the inside out. Because, as Askinasi put it at the events, “there is no more powerful place for a brand to be than at the heart of a story people love.”
Together, these initiatives underscore Paramount Advertising’s broader goal: to deliver client-first solutions that create real outcomes and long-term value.
“It’s about investment,” Askinasi said at the dinners. “For us, that means accelerating investment in powerful storytelling, a world-class sports portfolio, and a modern technology platform. For [our clients], it’s an investment in their business – and in the bottom-line results we can deliver together. Our goal isn’t just to be their best media partner – it's to be their most trusted enterprise partner each and every day. Because when it really comes down to it, it all comes back to one thing: Story. Powers. Everything.”
Learn more about Paramount Advertising at paramount.com/about/businesses/advertising.