Jessica Brown | Executive Director, Marketplace & Partnerships | WPP Media

The Mystery That Pulled Her In: Jessica started as a digital buyer, and the upfronts were the part of the industry she could only hear about from the outside. Best celebrities, best parties, biggest deals. One amazing presentation later, she was hooked. Now she's the one inside the room. 🎟

It's an IP Conversation Now: The old upfront question was which network, which spot, which rating. Jessica says this year the question is which IP, which creator, which cultural moment a brand actually wants to be aligned with. The platform is the delivery system. The IP is the deal. 🎬

The Oprah Moment: When Oprah took the stage to talk about her podcast living with Amazon and Wondery, Jessica clocked it as the perfect example of where the upfronts are going. Social-led talent making its way onto streaming. Audio anchoring video. A huge Oprah fan saw the shape of the new upfront in one announcement. 🎙

Flexibility Is the Real Ask: The old perception of upfronts was rigid commitment with no room to move. Jessica says that's exactly what clients are pushing back on. The work now is structuring deals so budgets can flex throughout the year, lean into what's working, and shift around the moments that actually land. 🔁

Why DIRECTV Is the Connecting Tissue: Live and sports still matter, but they're not the whole story. Jessica sees DIRECTV Advertising as the partner that can stitch a brand's biggest moments together all year long, from out of home to programmatic, across every way a consumer shows up. The car isn't just a ride. It's the metaphor. 🚙