TV Upfronts 2018 Presentation & Party Schedule: More Corporate Consolidation, Fewer Agency Bashes, Kimmel Returns

As we are heading into upfront week, here again is Deadline’s handy schedule of all the presentations and parties (originally posted May 1): 

After pulling out of ABC’s upfront presentation last year following his newborn son’s surgery, Jimmy Kimmel will make a welcome return for his 15th roast of the broadcast networks at the Lincoln Center during Upfront Week beginning May 13 in New York.

Corporate sibling continue to merge their upfront events. Over the past few years, NBC’s presentation expanded to include all NBCUniversal networks, which previously held their own upfronts; TNT & TBS’ presentation became a Turner event spanning all nets; Fox’s presentation added a segment about its cable siblings; ESPN and ESPN Deportes merged their presentations; and the 20th Century Fox TV private reception was folded into the Fox party.

The trend continues this year. The ABC upfront presentation is billed as ABC & Freeform event. Also undergoing a change is an Upfront Week staple, Adult Swim’s Wednesday night bash. The affair, always headlined by a top music act (past performers included Kanye West, Drake, Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus), is being rebranded as a Turner Upfront Party this year. Absorbing truTV’s Hang After Party, the Turner party will keep the Terminal 5 location of the Adult Swim gathering and feature a performance by The Killers and music from DJ Cipha Sounds.

On the agency front, gone is CAA’s private party, a longtime tradition. And after five years, WME is ending its late-night cocktail party (at least for now). The agency will continue to hold its signature private dinner at the Peter Luger Steakhouse. Meanwhile, the ICM Partners party is back on after being canceled over fears of a then-looming writers strike last year. The marathon of upfront events will again be kicked off by UTA’s long-running Sunday night soiree.

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Univision’s upfront is on the move and switching formats. After a long run as a Tuesday mid-day event, the presentation is becoming a Monday-Tuesday affair and shifting from the Theater District to TriBeCa’s Spring Studios. The network will actually hold four presentations featuring performances and interactive experiences, one on Monday and three back-to-back on Tuesday.

NCM, which did upfront presentations the last few years, is switching to smaller client-targeted events instead.

Here is a list of the Upfront Week activities (all times ET):

SUNDAY, MAY 13

9:30 PM: UTA 2018 Upfronts Party
Cadillac House, 330 Hudson Street

MONDAY, MAY 14

10:30 AM: NBCUniversal Upfront Presentation
Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas

4 PM: Fox Upfront Presentation
The Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway,

followed by
Post-Party, Wollman Rink, Central Park & 59th Street

6 PM: Univision Communications Upfront 
Spring Studios, 50 Varick Street

6:30 PM: NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises invitation-only private concert of J Balvin
The Park Avenue Armory Conservancy, 643 Park Avenue

7:30 PM: Entertainment Weekly & PEOPLE VIP Cocktail Party
The Bowery Hotel, 335 Bowery (between E 2nd & E 3rd St.)

8:30 PM: NBCUniversal Private After-Party
Del Posto, 85 10th Ave.

TUESDAY, MAY 15

9 AM: ESPN Upfront
Minskoff Theatre, 200 W. 45th Street

11 AM, 12:30 PM, 3 PM: Univision Communications Upfront (three more presentations)
Spring Studios, 50 Varick Street

4 PM: ABC Upfront Presentation featuring Jimmy Kimmel
David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, 132 West 65th Street

6 PM: ICM Partners Upfront Party
Añejo Tribeca, 301 Church Street

8 PM: Gersh Upfront Cocktails & Dinner
The Bowery Hotel, 335 Bowery

8 PM: Innovative Artists Party
Slate, 54 West 21st Street

8:30 PM: WME Upfronts Private Dinner for clients and studio executives
Peter Luger Steakhouse, 178 Broadway, Brooklyn

10 PM: Verve Upfront Party
Bowlmor Times Square, 222 W 44th Street

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16

10 AM: Turner Upfront Presentation
The Theater at Madison Square Garden

4 PM: CBS Upfront Presentation
Carnegie Hall, 881 7th Ave. (57th Street and 7th Ave)

followed by 
Reception at The Plaza Hotel, Main entrance on Fifth Avenue at Central Park South

9 PM: Turner Upfront Party, with a performance by The Killers and music from DJ Cipha Sounds
Terminal 5, 610 W 56 St.

THURSDAY, MAY 17

11 AM: The CW Upfront
New York City Center, 131 West 55th Street

7 PM: The CW Private After-Party
Location not disclosed