Next week, when media buyers and CMOs pour into New Yorks Jacob Javits Center for Disneys 2025 upfront presentation, they will be treated to a showcase of everything the entertainment giant has to offer.

I think youre going to see a show that showcases the depth and breadth of The Walt Disney Company, and its not going to be a show around linear and streaming and sports. Itll be one show that is very integrated in terms of the power and the relationships that we have with stars, with the consumer and with brands that comes to life on a stage, and I think its going to be one of our, our most exciting shows, yet, says Rita Ferro, president of global advertising for Disney, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. It leans into the power of the things that we know resonate with fans, because at the end of the day, in economies like the one of today, which I would say is best described as uncertain, I think a lot of brands are in the process of planning for multiple scenarios and understanding that they still have to generate sales volume and make sure that their brands are front and center in the mind of a consumer that is much more thoughtful about how theyre spending money. As Ferro notes, this years upfronts come amid a tumultuous moment for the media and advertising business. Tariffs and recession concerns are on top of mind for every CMO. For entertainment companies, that means flexibility is key. The upfronts, as Ferro notes, are a futures marketplace. And the company is willing to shift things around as circumstances change, provided that a brand has bought in.

From an overall marketplace perspective, no question were in uncertain times, Ferro says, before leaning into what she sees as Disneys advantage. No question brands are going to continue to have to be in the marketplace, and we are ultimately leaning into years of relationships, years of storytelling, differentiation, the best brands in the business and the most flexibility to work with.

Disney, of course, has ESPN, the most powerful brand in sports media. And it has an ad-supported streaming juggernaut in Disney+ and Hulu, which are the most scaled pure-play ad-supported subscription services in the market. Even in the current moment, sports and streaming still seem poised to grow.

I feel like a company like Disney with the position that we have around the things that resonates with consumers and where consumers are spending time: Sports, scaled streaming and live entertainment, we are a consistent and long-term partner for many brands., Ferro says. Weve been in the business for decades and weve been investing in and have the technology that allows them to do the things that they want to do, and deliver on the measurement side to prove that its working in ways that differentiates us from other other platforms that week.

And later this year ESPN is set to launch its flagship streaming service, with a full lineup of live sports and complementary products to stand out.

How we think about it on the sports side, from fantasy and sports betting and short form content sharing, brand integrations, were driving more and more opportunities for brands to be part of special partnerships and integrations inside of content, Ferro says, noting that the company is betting that ultimately Disney+ will become the streaming hub for the companys content.

And that includes entertainment content, where Disney+s lineup of family-friendly and IP-driven fare is now connected with Hulus lineup of more adult programming, FX-branded premium shows, and reality programming.

Theres no question that theres more dollars going to streaming on the entertainment side, and thats just following the eyeballs. As youve seen consumers spend less time watching in a linear environment and instead watching on streaming, the dollars have followed, Ferro says, adding that the company has also seen a surprising resurgence in broadcast TV. Obviously were really well positioned to be able to capitalize on that, given the scale we have in streaming. That said, broadcast this year has been surprisingly strong. A couple of quarters ago, Bob [Iger] mentioned a conversation that he and I have had, in which I said were seeing broadcasts really hold up, and thats been true for the last couple of quarters, I think because of the amount of live hours, because its still a significant reach vehicle, and because of the quality of the shows on that network, and the mix of shows with sports, its still a destination for audiences to go and brands to activate against.

Where youve seen more decline, I would say, is on the cable side, but a lot of that content is really found within streaming environments, so thats not a surprising thing to see, Ferro adds.