The Television Critics Association recently made the difficult decision to cancel its Winter 2025 TCA press tour due to a lack of participation from networks, studios, and streamers. This comes as another setback for the TCA organization, which has faced challenges in organizing successful press tours in recent years, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and Hollywood strikes.
TCA president Jacqueline Cutler explained in a letter to members that the cancellation was a result of Hollywood’s “deep contraction,” despite some commitments from industry players. The organization wanted to give members enough time to plan accordingly, leading to the early November deadline for the decision.
However, Cutler remains optimistic about the future of the TCA, mentioning plans for a Summer 2025 tour and ongoing efforts to bring back the event in full force. The TCA managed to host press tours earlier this year in February and July, following the cancellation of the summer 2023 tour due to the strikes.
Typically, the TCA holds one winter and one summer press tour each year, featuring panels with casts, writers, directors, and producers from various series across different networks and streaming platforms. The events also include Q&A sessions with network executives. While the pandemic forced the TCA to go virtual in 2020, the organization was able to return to in-person events in Winter 2023 before facing another setback in the summer.
The TCA Awards were held in person this July for the first time since 2019, but the summer 2024 press tour was shorter than usual, with only a few outlets presenting to the press. Despite these challenges, Cutler remains hopeful for the future and is already working towards a successful Summer 2025 tour.
In her letter to members, Cutler expressed disappointment over the cancellation of the Winter TCA tour but emphasized the success of the previous tours in February and July. She reassured members that Hollywood executives are eager to participate in future events, indicating a positive outlook for the TCA’s upcoming endeavors.
