When is Pitch Season for Television?

As a filmmaker, it’s important for you to know the key dates involved in pitch season and how they apply to your production needs. Pitch season, also known as pitching season, represents a unique time in network television production and happens to be a very important season for filmmakers. Most cable networks have a schedule for scripted television programs during which new series’ or programs are introduced each year or several times per year, which is known as pilot season, but when is pitch season for television?

What is Pitching Season?

Pitch season represents a period of time. During which television broadcast networks and cable providers are prepared to hear out the ideas (or pitches). For new television programs or series that production studios and producers want to sell for distribution.

During pitch season, the producer must demonstrate the creativity, originality, and long-term projected profitability of a new show idea so that the television broadcast network, cable network, or other distributor will want to see the pilot and give the show a chance.

To help you understand how pitch season, pilot season, and the process of getting your scripted television show or series into major television networks.

Take a look at this quick overview of how the process works:

• First, the screenwriter has an idea for a television show or series. This idea is then usually pitched to a production company. 
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• Once a production company, or studio, bites and has strong interest in producing the show, they will then pitch the idea to a network distributor such as a cable television network like HBO or to a local television network like ABC. This happens during pitch season for television.
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• If the pitch goes well, and the television broadcast network is interested in seeing more, a pilot is produced and aired during pilot season.
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• If the pilot goes well, then the show could move forward and find its way into the upfronts. Upfronts represent the announcement by television networks of new shows to advertisers. If you’ve made it this far, you’re very likely to have a television show that will air in the coming season.
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• If an upfront is picked up, the process of coordinating the production of the rest of the series or programs for the upcoming season immediately begins. Writers are staffed to finish writing all of the episodes that come after the pilot, talent is hired, and the production begins to really move forward at this time. 

The Start of Something New

As you can see, it all starts with the pitch! Which is why it’s so important to know when pitch season is for television.

When is Pitch Season for Television?

Unlike pilot season which typically has a firm start date in which filmmakers should expect to hear from network television broadcasters with orders for pilot programs. Pitch season does not have a specific start date.

Most major networks will hear pitches very early in the year. But there are actually many networks now that are openly hearing pitches year around. Pitching season really ramps up in early summer from late May to the beginning of June. 

As you saw in the above overview of the process, the season begins with pitching. And the full-circle process of getting a show aired on network television basically ends with upfronts. Which are held the third week of May each year.

So the pitching season timeline essentially goes as follows:

• May to June – pitching season. Primarily End of May and Beginning of June.
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• June to Holiday Season around November – pitching continues and series concepts & scripts are shared with network executives.
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• During Holiday Season – network executives decide on pilots to order.
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• January – pilots are ordered.
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• February to April – pilots are produced. 
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• April to May – major networks select series orders based on pilots. Only some pilots turn into series. Upfronts are held in the third week of May.

In Summary

So when is pitching season for television? It’s typically early summer from late May to June. But pitching can take place earlier in the year as well as slightly later than June. Pitching season runs through the holidays during which time executives begin deciding on pilots to order.