News Corp calls time on orthodox media upfronts

By the Editorial Team · Monday, August 31, 2026

News Corp Australia is replacing its traditional large-scale upfront presentations with a series of targeted, category-specific insight sessions called Beyond27 to better meet marketers' needs for tailored advertising solutions. This shift reflects changing consumer behaviors and the growing impact of technologies like generative AI, signaling a move toward more data-driven and customized media planning in the evolving advertising landscape.

News Corp Australia is phasing out the traditional large-scale media upfront presentations, shifting instead to a series of targeted, category-specific insight sessions in response to changing marketer demands. Lou Barrett, chief revenue officer at News Corp Australia, described the one-size-fits-all upfront format as increasingly outdated, noting that chief marketing officers (CMOs) now seek tailored solutions to address diverse challenges across different sectors.

The company’s newly introduced program, titled Beyond27, will replace the conventional upfront with a series of focused sessions covering five distinct areas: advocacy and impact; health, wellness and beauty; sport and entertainment; travel; and finance and essential services. This approach aims to provide advertisers with detailed consumer and commercial insights rather than broad overviews that often fail to offer actionable guidance.

Barrett emphasized that marketers are seeking “specific evidence and intelligence” that can help navigate the evolving media landscape, particularly as the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) alters how consumers search for, discover, and purchase products. News Corp’s decision is partly informed by observed shifts in consumer behavior, especially during peak shopping periods such as last year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, which revealed new dynamics in the interplay between AI, digital publishing, and consumer engagement.

Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp Australasia, highlighted the varying rates of change across industries as a key factor driving the new strategy. He pointed out that consumer behavior is evolving unevenly across different categories, necessitating more focused, evidence-based approaches to media planning and advertising.

The move away from glossy, large upfront presentations reflects wider pressures on media companies to demonstrate clear commercial outcomes to advertisers amid a rapidly changing market environment. Barrett suggested that 2026 may mark the final year for the traditional upfront format in Australia, as the industry adapts to more data-driven and nuanced methods of engaging marketing partners.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.