According to tallies by the Broadway League, the 2024-2025 Broadway season was the highest-grossing on record and the second-best attended. After years of building the industry back after the COVID-19 shutdown, Broadway enjoyed a resurgent year. But the industry is also at a turning point. Change is the only constant, and Broadway — as always — must simultaneously nurture loyal theater lovers while cultivating new audiences.
The stories that unfold onstage and the ways in which they are told is a part of the equation for success. The other part is ensuring potential ticket buyers know what’s on offer. That’s where advertising and marketing enters the conversation. Those who work in entertainment know about the “crowded landscape” and the need to “break through the noise.” As Broadway turns toward a new chapter, Broadway News wanted to learn from the advertisers themselves. What are the challenges of advertising Broadway shows in 2025? What are the innovations to which industry mavens need to pay attention?
Ahead of the 2025-2026 season, Broadway News hosted a roundtable with leaders of five top-tier Broadway advertising firms. While seated at the Algonquin Hotel’s Algonquin Roundtable, Liz Furze, chief executive officer of AKA NYC; Callie Goff, managing director and chief creative officer of SpotCo; Jeremy Kraus, managing partner of Situation; Ilene Rosen, founder of RPM; and Matt Upshaw, chief executive officer of Serino Coyne shared their expert perspectives on advertising in the biz. What ensued was a dynamic conversation that included 1) how they measure a successful campaign, 2) why every show needs to be a brand — or not, 3) what shows they think have created an effective brand, 4) what they’re concerned about with Broadway audiences, 5) what they think of budgets and more.
