President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs have introduced a new layer of caution and uncertainty for Madison Avenue as Hollywood fights for its share of tens of billions of dollars in ad spend during its annual TV upfronts in May. While the negotiations are always high stakes for media companies and buyers, an unsettled economy complicates the process. 

“Even before [the tariffs], clients were cautious. That’s what we’ve been seeing pretty consistently,” one media buyer who requested anonymity told TheWrap. “But they have definitely increased the amount of caution, and I think that emphasizes the amount of flexibility that our clients are going to need.”