Disney‘s annual upfront presentation to advertisers in New York on Tuesday kicked off with some high-energy antics (and singing) courtesy of the viral sensations the Savannah Bananas.
Not long after, it was revealed that the team’s Banana Bowl will stream live on Disney+ in October as part of a larger partnership with Disney. That includes standout player Jackson Olson joining “Dancing with the Stars.”
Newly minted CEO Josh D’Amaro then took the stage after an introduction from “Devil Wears Prada 2” star Anne Hathaway.
“The thing is, you cannot acquire a hundred years of trust,” D’Amaro said. “You can’t put generations of belonging on a balance sheet. Disney is part of people’s lives in a way few brands have ever been. And in a world of infinite choice and constant distraction, that kind of presence is rare, and getting rarer.”
Disney president of global advertising Rita Ferro then took the stage to tout the company’s ad capabilities, including what she said were “more intelligent, automated systems.”
Sports was on deck next. Jason Kelce and Laura Rutledge brought out a lineup of former Super Bowl MVPs in celebration of what ESPN has dubbed the “Year of the Super Bowl,” as the cable network will air the annual NFL championship in 2027 with a simulcast on ABC. Among those onstage were Troy Aikman, Petyon Manning, Eli Manning, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Hines Ward, and more.
Later on, tennis legend Billie Jean King arrived to a rousing round of applause from the audience. King’s life and career is set to be explored in a new installment of ESPN’s “30 for 30” franchise. She proceeded to knock a few autographed tennis balls into the crowd.
“Dancing with the Stars” hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough brought out over three dozen professional dancers, including Mark Ballas, Alan Bersten, Witney Carson, Val Chmerkovskiy, Sasha Farber, Jenna Johnson, and more. Series champ Robert Irwin emerged from the crowd to get in on the dancing, but also to tout the upcoming series “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.”
“Ahsoka” star Rosario Dawson, and her very own droid, promised fans an even bigger and better Season 2 of the series, which will debut in “early 2027” according to Dawson. That is a nearly four-year gap between Season 2 and the release of the first season in August 2023.
Marvel stars Robert Downey Jr., Tom Hiddleston, and Paul Bettany followed suit, including a first-look at the upcoming Disney+ Marvel series “VisionQuest” and the news the show would premiere in October 2026.
FX then took over with their usual big swing for one of their shows. This year, it was a creepy performance in honor of the FX franchise “American Horror Story,” complete with people in latex suits, scary clowns, and a whole gang of druids.
Stars Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, Billie Lourd and Emma Roberts took the stage to announce “Love Story” star Paul Anthony Kelly’s addition to the show’s 13th season. That was followed by a first look at Ryan Murphy’s new series, “The Shards.”
Lindsay Lohan, Kit Harington, and Shailene Woodley also shared a first-look at the Hulu miniseries “Count My Lies,” followed by a look at the limited series “Cry Wolf” starring Olivia Colman and Brie Larson, with Ewan McGregor and Claire Danes teasing the new series “The Spot.”
To close the show, Jimmy Kimmel and his 11-year old daughter Jane introduced none other than Olivia Rodrigo to sing her new song “Drop Dead” followed by her 2021 hit “good 4 u” and 2023’s “get him back!” In a particularly heartwarming moment, Jane got to take the stage with Rodrigo as part of her closing number.