A+E Networks, AMC Networks, CBS, Discovery, FOX, NBCuniversal, WarnerMedia and Other Media Publishers Double Down on Addressable TV Initiatives Ahead of the 2020 Upfronts
Nielsen announced the beta launch of its Addressable TV platform. As part of the beta, programmers including A+E Networks, AMC Networks, CBS, Discovery, FOX, NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia will test the solution by running addressable ad campaigns and evaluating how it interoperates with existing and evolving workflows. The beta program is underway and will run through the first half of 2020 in preparation for its commercial debut later in the year.
“As programmers take on the challenge of unlocking the value of their 14 minutes per hour of advertising time, they require solutions to manage complex addressability workflows,” said Kelly Abcarian, General Manager, Advanced Video Advertising at Nielsen. “Having programmers engage with Nielsen’s Addressable TV Advertising solution to execute test campaigns with brands will allow us to evaluate the end-to-end touchpoints across an addressable TV media buy.”
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“A+E Networks is excited to continue our collaboration with Nielsen, following up on our previous trial of addressable ad campaigns,” said Peter Olsen, EVP, Ad Sales, A+E Networks. “This initiative aligns with our goal of bringing to market practical innovations with a focus on transparency, value, and provable outcomes. Combining our great storytelling with relevant and effective advertising helps our partners connect with their consumers and leverage the power of television to propel their business forward.”
On the heels of several Nielsen-led trials conducted over the last year, this is the next phase in preparing broadcast and cable networks to launch expanded addressable ad campaigns with buyers. Participating networks will plug the ground-breaking solution into their respective workflows, processes and tech stacks. Subsequently, these clients will review the open solution’s full capabilities, including ad inventory and campaign management, audience targeting, ad decisioning, dynamic ad replacement, and C3/C7 measurement reconciliation as necessary. By executing addressable test campaigns via Nielsen’s beta environment, TV networks will gain insights to inform their sales strategy ahead of the upcoming TV season.
“With viewing habits constantly changing, advertisers need to ensure their messages are reaching target audiences in the most direct and efficient way. Addressable TV offers the targetability of digital with the scale and brand safety of linear,” said Kim Kelleher, President of Advertising Sales and Partnerships for AMC Networks. “As an early believer and adopter of addressable TV technology, we are excited to be part of Nielsen’s beta program to test linear TV campaigns and better understand how we can leverage our highly engaged audiences across our range of well-defined linear networks to maximize the value of our ad inventory and the relevance of the advertising we deliver to viewers.”
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“CBS is excited about the potential of addressable TV, and we recognize the need for standard workflows to scale solutions across the ecosystem. As a participant in the previous trial, CBS engaged with Nielsen to provide insight into TV programmer workflows. We look forward to continuing the momentum via this beta, to test the platform and evaluate the results,” said Mike Dean, Senior Vice President, Advanced Advertising and Automation, CBS.
Nielsen’s Addressable TV Advertising solution offers programmers an open and modular platform to effectively manage their addressable TV inventory and campaigns, empowering inventory owners with additional sales options to optimize the value of their ad inventory. By unlocking addressable inventory, media sellers will enable maximum delivery of ROI to advertisers across both linear and addressable TV impressions. Programmers can establish whether certain addressable ad loads are open to single or multiple advertisers, and manage campaign pacing.
“At Discovery, we are committed to enhancing TV measurement capabilities, and we are excited to integrate Nielsen’s platform into our robust suite of advanced advertising products,” said Keith Kazerman, Executive Vice President, Digital Sales, Advanced Advertising and Research for Discovery. “Addressable advertising not only offers advertisers an unprecedented level of precision and efficiency, it also provides viewers with a better experience. Together as an industry, our work with this platform will move TV advertising forward.”
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The platform’s open and flexible approach is compatible with existing industry standards, including VAST and SCTE, and can seamlessly integrate with third-party components that service all sides of the ecosystem. As with any solution that is either wholly or partially standards-based, there is a need to bring together a comprehensive solution that works for all parties. By delivering a powerful solution built on proven technology to the marketplace, Nielsen is leading the push to revolutionize TV advertising for the benefit of all—from broadcasters to agencies and advertisers to consumers.
“WarnerMedia has spent the last half-decade developing industry-leading audience-based capabilities that empower advertising to deliver more relevant brand messaging to the audiences that matter most to their business,” said Dan Aversano, Senior Vice President of Ad Innovation and Programmatic Solutions, WarnerMedia Ad Sales. “We believe that all digital and linear modalities where consumers engage with our premium content should be addressable. This will help create more engaging and relevant ad experiences for our consumers and more effective advertising for agency and advertiser partners. We look forward to working with Nielsen through this beta period to uncover new opportunities to expand our effort towards that goal.”
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