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Jimmy Kimmel Does What He Can to Help Disney Attract Advertisers

From a Lincoln Center stage, Jimmy Kimmel looked out at nearly 3,000 empty seats that, in any other year, would have been filled for The Walt Disney Company’s annual presentation to advertisers.

“I forgot to delete this from my iCal,” he said in video presented to the media giant’s advertising clients.

In reality, the host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Disney’s ABC network, was nowhere near the New York landmark, having filmed his segment in front of a green screen at home.

The computer-generated set was one of many concessions that networks have made as the coronavirus pandemic shut down the upfronts, a series of springtime events where advertisers attend canapé-and-cocktail parties and celebrity-studded showcases meant to hype the fall television season.

“You want shrimp? Next year we’ll give you shrimp,” Mr. Kimmel told the ad buyers watching him from home this year. “But in the meantime, we need cash.”

The advertising industry is still feeling out how to do business in the pandemic. Major spenders such as Anheuser-Busch and L’Oreal scaled back marketing. Many others are shying away from long-term promises to buy commercial time and opting for deals made on short notice.

Flexibility has never been more important as companies scrambled to adjust their reactions to the news: first opting for caution during the pandemic and then, in recent days, pausing some ad campaigns out of sensitivity to the nationwide protests against racism and police brutality.

With theaters closed in New York, media companies have resorted to less elaborate presentations to keep advertisers interested. Following events by NBCUniversal and ViacomCBS and other companies, Disney put on what it called a “virtual roadshow” made up of seven presentations filled with sizzle reels backed by triumphant music.

Executives hyped upcoming shows from various Disney channels: an FX dramas starring Jeff Bridges and Matthew McConaughey; a detective thriller on ABC from David E. Kelley; an ESPN documentary about Tom Brady. There were appearances Alex Rodriguez, Gordon Ramsay, David Muir, Robin Roberts and Bear Grylls.

In a presentation shown to reporters, Jeff Meacham, an actor from ABC’s “Black-ish,” had a conversation with a Barbie doll. Ryan Seacrest, who hosts “American Idol,” called Disney a “reach machine” for its popularity with multiple generations. Kerry Washington, who stars in “Little Fires Everywhere” on Hulu, talked up product placement opportunities.

The topic of production delays laid bare the effect of the pandemic. The new season of the National Geographic show “Genius,” featuring Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin, halted filming with two episodes left. “Supermarket Sweep,” an ABC game show hosted by Leslie Jones, was stalled just before filming was set to start. After the death of George Floyd, Disney added a note to the presentations expressing support for the black community, saying that the company was “struggling to make sense of all recent tragedies” and that it was “outraged by the killing of George Floyd among so many others.”

TV viewership has surged during the pandemic, but companies have slashed budgets for commercials by more than 40 percent, according to the research firm Kantar. Ad spots, which had grown steadily more expensive in recent years, have sold for 20 percent or more below their usual rates, media buyers said.

Disney’s ad revenue is expected to slump $1.4 billion this year and will not fully recover for another two years, according to a forecast from the research firm MoffettNathanson.

“Many advertisers are unable to commit to budgets, and many TV networks don’t have finished product to sell,” said Tim Nollen, an analyst with Macquarie Capital, in a note to investors last month.

The Coronavirus Outbreak

  • Frequently Asked Questions and Advice

    Updated June 5, 2020

    • How many people have lost their jobs due to coronavirus in the U.S.?

      The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.

    • Will protests set off a second viral wave of coronavirus?

      Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.

    • How do we start exercising again without hurting ourselves after months of lockdown?

      Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.

    • My state is reopening. Is it safe to go out?

      States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.

    • What’s the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface?

      Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.

    • What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

      Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.

    • How can I protect myself while flying?

      If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)

    • Should I wear a mask?

      The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.

    • What should I do if I feel sick?

      If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.