On the same day that Gray Television announced that it is taking a minority stake in TEGNA-owned connected TV and “over-the-top” (OTT) advertising business PREMION, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations revealed that its 42 NBC and Telemundo broadcast stations will be fully integrated into a new advanced video ad business — designed for local/regional CTV and OTT advertisers.
Introducing “NBC Spot On,” designed to give local advertisers “with unfettered access to brand-safe long-form premium inventory that is fully owned or directly purchased.”
At the helm of the new enterprise is Shawn Makhijani, who takes the title of SVP of NBC Spot On and Business Development and Strategy for the owned stations division. He continues to report to NBCUniversal Owned Stations division President Valari Staab and Frank Comerford, Chief Revenue Officer and President of Commercial Operations for the division.
“As the local ad sales industry transforms, NBC and Telemundo stations have been at the forefront of changes that have revamped the way ad campaigns are measured,” Comerfield said. “Through NBC Spot On, we are doubling down on our efforts to make local buying easier and more effective for advertisers. Until now, there wasn’t a single solution that met our clients’ full suite of needs. As the only TV station group that can bring together the best of Comcast, NBCUniversal, and our very own local industry experts, we are pleased to present NBC Spot On to our clients, a new ad solution that will transform local ad buying as we know it.”
At launch, NBC Spot On seeks to provide clients with geotargeting and audience targeting to help boost advertisers’ reach with their intended audiences.
Makhijani said that, at launch, NBC Spot On can benefit from its wide array of owned inventory. “By supplementing our owned inventory with directly acquired premium third party inventory, clients can now, through a single buy, achieve the needed scale and efficiency for even the most complex buys,” he said.
The launch of NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ new advanced video advertising business solution for local and regional OTT/CTV advertisers follows NBCUniversal Advertising and Partnerships division’s recent news that details One Platform’s transaction model for global advertisers, ahead of the 2020-21 upfront season.
