Yahoo Lifestyle TV Critics Association Cancels Winter 2025 TCA Press Tour
The Television Critics Association has canceled its planned Winter 2025 TCA press tour, after it failed to reach a critical mass of networks, studios and streamers willing to participate in the semi-annual event. It’s the latest blow to the TCA organization, which has struggled to front a robust press tour in recent years following the double whammy of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the dual Hollywood strikes.
In a letter to TCA members, Television Critics Assoc. president Jacqueline Cutler blamed the cancellation on Hollywood’s “deep contraction. While several streamers, networks, and studios committed, it was not enough for a full press tour. We wanted to be respectful of our members’ need to plan so, as a board, we decided on an early November deadline to make this decision.”
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Cutler added that the TCA plans to hold a Summer 2025 tour, and that executives are still “working toward” returning to that event.
The TCA was able to hold press tours this year in both February and July, returning to its normal semi-annual calendar after having to cancel the summer 2023 TCA press tour due to the Hollywood strikes.
TCA normally holds one winter and one summer press tour per year, centering panels featuring the casts, writers, directors and producers of several series across different networks and streamers, as well as Q&As with network executives. The event went virtual due to the pandemic in 2020 but returned to an in-person event in Winter 2023 — before having to be canceled again that summer.
This year’s TCA Awards were held in person this July for the first time since 2019, but the summer 2024 press tour was shorter than normal, as just a handful of outlets presented to press. This summer’s event was just a week long, with presentations from Disney Entertainment Television, CBS, NBC, PBS, Hallmark, Starz, CBS Studios and a handful of small presenters.
Here is Cutler’s full memo to members:
Dear TCA Members,
We are writing with the disappointing news that the Winter TCA tour is canceled.
As you know, Hollywood is in a deep contraction. While several streamers, networks, and studios committed, it was not enough for a full press tour. We wanted to be respectful of our members’ need to plan so, as a board, we decided on an early November deadline to make this decision.
I want to stress something that members who attended last February and July already know – those were great tours. Executives I have talked with have been exceptionally positive about the last two press tours. More importantly, each stressed wanting to participate in the Summer 2025 tour, and we are already working toward that.
Sincerely,
Jacqueline Cutler
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