My sense of this as well. If you recall the past 3 years, the announcements were coordinated and we had former Mossad and CIA heads pushing it.
So the question is for what purpose would you try and sell the idea of ET visiting Earth to the masses?
My speculation -- this is just speculation -- is that it will be a component of an attempt to create a new unified global religion to basically wrap [and undermine the narrative of] the existing (problematic in certain views) global religions. [You know, ET as angels and prophets as ~abductees.]
p.s. this looks like an interesting read (that closes with):
Like the JFK assassination conspiracy theories, the UFO issue probably will not go away soon, no matter what the Agency does or says. The belief that we are not alone in the universe is too emotionally appealing and the distrust of our government is too pervasive to make the issue amenable to traditional scientific studies of rational explanation and evidence.
CIA's Role in the Study of UFOs, 1947-90, Gerald K Haines, National Reconnaissance Office historian
https://www.cia.gov/static/105bd8290b90de13ee136fecc9fe863f/...
p.s.s.
I see a [dead] comment accusing me of "pushing conspiracy theories" and that is not the case. I am very skeptical of the idea of aliens waiting until humans reached a certain level of technology to make an entrance. If anything, pre-modern humanity was far more accepting of fantastical beasts, beings, places, magic, you name it. ET would have fitted right in. Why wait until the age of reason?
So given that lack of belief in ET (not in their existence but rather in their presence on our planet), coupled with 1st tier media and personalities promoting it, and the fact that ET apparently only contacts Five Eyes countries, the question then arises as to why are they pushing this bs?
A speculation followed.