Twitter’s Next Big Moment May Be at NewFronts

The New York conference, returning to an in-person event May 2-5, could provide advertisers with some insight into how Elon Musk may choose to run the platform

This year’s IAB NewFronts returns to New York City in person after a two-year delay, with a focus on the growth of ad-supported digital video, which saw a 51 percent increase in ad revenue in 2021.

The event, running from May 2 to May 5 in locations around the city, is bringing in companies like Roku, Peacock and Amazon — which rebranded its free advertising-based video-on-demand (AVOD) service earlier in April — as well as social media giants like Meta, TikTok, Twitter and Snap. AVOD will be a reinvigorated discussion at this year’s NewFronts, thanks in part to Netflix’s poor quarterly earnings showing that led co-CEO Reed Hastings to say that Netflix needs to explore an ad-supported subscription tier.

But all eyes will likely be on Twitter, which hosts its presentation May 4 as the company prepares to go private under the new ownership of Elon Musk. The role of advertising in Twitter’s future remains unclear; Musk said in early April — prior to his purchase — that he wanted Twitter to have “no ads.” In a since-deleted tweet, he said, “The power of corporations to dictate policy is greatly enhanced if Twitter depends on advertising money to survive.”

Snap will also likely address the ongoing impact of COVID-19 delays (mainly involving the supply chain), inflation and Apple’s iOS privacy changes on its ad business during its first in-person NewFronts presentation May 3 at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The self-described camera company reported a net loss during its latest quarterly earnings, conceding a more “challenging” quarter than expected, but teased that it is testing ads on Spotlight, its shortform video platform with similarities to TikTok.

Also expect creators to have an outsize presence at this year’s NewFronts, as brands want to tap into their large — and loyal — followings. “The role of the influencer really [is] becoming a mainstream part of the publishing experience,” says Eric John, vp of IAB’s Media Center. “The audiences that follow those influencers are huge and growing — in a way, it’s the new Hollywood, so expect that community of creators and the diverse audiences that they represent to be front and center at a bunch of those presentations.”