Seth Meyers used NBCUniversal’s upfront presentation to advertisers in New York City on Monday morning to swat at rivals, joke about Comcast’s stalled ambitions and needle CBS just as the broadcast season’s final week was getting underway.
Speaking during a 10-minute set, Meyers said, “We have taken down CBS,” then added, “Well, the Ellisons did, but I like to think we helped.” He followed with a jab at CBS’s recent posture toward President Trump, saying, “Seriously, what’s going on over there? They’re so in the pocket for Trump that I heard, next year, Survivor is in the Strait of Hormuz,” and, “CBS did not hold an upfront presentation this year because ‘CBS up front’ just describes how they paid Trump to drop the lawsuit.”
He then turned to Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal, saying it made a bid to buy Warner Bros., but “no one thought we were actually gonna get it.” He compared the moment to “that one friend who always pretends to reach for his wallet after the check comes,” before adding, “No, no. Comcast, you can get it next time, bud.” He also mocked Comcast’s earnings call, describing Peacock as approaching profitability “in the same way Kevin Hart is approaching seven feet tall.”
The jokes came at a time when the company has a real commercial edge to sell. NBCUniversal is holding upfront presentations across New York City during a busy week for advertisers and media companies, and NBC is set to take the broadcast crown for total viewers this TV season for the first time in nearly two decades. That gives the company a rare chance to boast while it tries to move advertising inventory for the coming year.
Meyers also sold the room on NBCUniversal’s scripted and reality lineup. He said Season 8 of Love Island USA is set to premiere in June, then asked, “If you’re the ad rep for Valtrex, what are you waiting for?” He called it “the show President Trump calls, ‘I never went there,’” and reminded the crowd that NBCUniversal poached Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan from Paramount last year in a deal worth a reported $1 billion. “I’m finally going to get a call from my dad asking, ‘What channel is NBC on?'” he said.
There was one more target. Meyers said Netflix is hosting its upfronts this year on the Hudson River and joked that “once a Netflix show hits two seasons, that’s where they dump its body.”
The timing only sharpened the contrast. Paramount did not hold a traditional upfront presentation this year and instead leaned on smaller gatherings in Los Angeles and New York City, along with intimate dinners. Meyers was also scheduled to appear on CBS Monday night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and John Oliver to help kick off the final week of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, giving the night's TV cross-pollination an added edge. The message from NBCUniversal was simple enough: it wants buyers laughing in the room, but it also wants them to remember who is winning the ratings fight.
