NBCUniversal announces new advanced targeting solutions, self-service technology offerings, commerce-enabled ad products and new content quality measurement index

At NBCUniversal’s third annual developer conference, One23, the company unveiled new and expanded capabilities as part of the One Platform technology stack, which combines the data and targeting of big tech and the passion and engagement of big media. Whether first-party data partnerships, transformational in-flight optimization for linear, integrations of NBCUniversal Checkout across platforms, or meaningful measurement solutions – NBCU is partnering industrywide to build an automated, interactive, and transparent future for fans, storytellers and marketers.

One23 included a keynote from Steve Wozniak, a Joint Industry Committee Panel, and a critical conversation on the power of representation in media and advertising; it also brought together partners across the industry to help NBCU make key announcements across four pillars:

Data and identity
New data partnerships will connect marketers with the broadest first-party data in advertising for reach and advanced targeting.

1.  Fandom-Based Insights: Beginning in Q1, advertisers will have access to thousands of NBCUnified first-party data attributes that define NBCU superfans across our entire platform—all derived from their interactions with the NBCU content and experiences they love.
2.  GroupM & Choreograph: Utilizing the new fandom-based insights, this new data partnership and clean-room integration with NBCUnified deepens clients’ understanding of the audience journey.

Activation and automation
NBCU is the first media company to combine the efficiency of digital optimization with the reach, scale, and premium content of linear television for businesses of any size.

1. Democratizing Access to Premium Streaming Content: Marketers have programmatic access to an average of 30 premium Peacock live events per month via DSP partners, including The Trade Desk and OneView by Roku, with Beeswax, Google Display & Video 360, Amazon, Yahoo and Xandr coming soon.
2. Peacock Ad Manager: This self-serve technology is launching specifically for performance marketers and SMB’s that want to evolve beyond search and social to precision targeting and attribution measurement across CTV and streaming in partnership with tvScientific.
3. In-Flight Linear Optimization: Co-developed with Amazon Web Services (AWS), NBCU’s proprietary log scheduler will enable marketers to optimize – for the first time – linear buys in-flight and second-by-second with multi-currency demos and advanced audiences, bringing the automation of digital to linear TV.
4. In-Flight Streaming Optimization: NBCU taps into FreeWheel, which will be launching new APIs that unlock real-time multi-currency optimization and in-flight pacing against iSpot, VideoAmp, and more, allowing marketers to adjust streaming campaigns moment by moment.
5. Multi-Currency and Cross-Platform Workflow Automation: In a scaled integration with Mediaocean NBCU will support planning, posting, and billing across linear and streaming using multiple currencies, such as iSpot and VideoAmp.

Ad innovation and commerce
NBCUniversal Checkout integrations and Peacock ad innovations power new interactive experiences for fans, creating meaningful connections with stories and marketers.

1. Must ShopTV: Following plans to bring NBCU Checkout integration to Comcast’s Xfinity X1 devices, NBCU will now extend the functionality to Peacock. Powered by KERV Interactive – which identifies objects in video and makes them interactive and shoppable – viewers will be served the exact or similar products within the One Platform Commerce Marketplace, all purchasable using a remote.
2. Retail Media Extension Network: Brands of any size can connect to audiences from CitrusAd’s data within a self-service suite of contextually relevant shoppable native ad placements called NBCU’s Retail Media Extension Network, which is launching with Verishop brands and powered by NBCU Checkout.
3. DailyMail.com Partnership: In a first-of-its-kind licensing deal, DailyMail.com will run a pilot of NBCUniversal Checkout to allow readers to seamlessly purchase products without disruption, further proving the impact of uniting content, viewers, and shopping into one interactive experience.
4. In-Scene Ad Innovation with TripleLift: On Peacock, NBCU named TripleLift as its launch partner to power In-Scene Ads, enabling marketers to digitally insert brands – 2D signage and 3D product placement – directly into content during post-production. This innovation utilizes data to create a more dynamic experience for advertisers, and a more personalized one for viewers at scale.
5. Watch With: Exclusive to Peacock, this user experience empowers marketers to take fans behind-the-scenes of their favorite content with stars, directors, and producers providing commentary and answering live questions, coming soon with Season 2 of “Bel-Air.”
6. Scaling Innovations Across Peacock’s Live Sports: Doubling down on Peacock’s live sports offerings, NBCU is now expanding its suite of innovations, including the Frame Ad and Engagement Ad in partnership with BrightLine; Highlight Ad; and a customized Spotlight Ad to deploy across Peacock’s 20 sports rights – more than any other streaming service – such as English Premier League, Big 10 Football, Sunday Night Football, Championship and PGA Tour Golf, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and more.
7. Peacock’s Massive Ad Innovation Success: With the company’s new research, the Peacock innovative ad experience provides +12% in unaided awareness, +16% in brand favorability, and +24% in purchase intent vs. streaming competition among the ad-supported streaming service’s nearly 80M (79.4M) monthly active users according to Comscore.

Measurement and impact
NBCU continues to build a multicurrency future, introducing a new Content Quality metric that unites reach and resonance while measuring impact across the full funnel, bringing the certification total to 38 across the NBCUniversal Measurement Framework.

1. Content Quality Index: In partnership with MarketCast, NBCUniversal launches a new metric that provides a single score to compare how entertainment content, the advertising environment, and ad creative work together to drive impact for advertisers across content types and platforms, while protecting the value of premium content in every environment.
2. Advanced Audience Measurement Certifications: NBCU certifies VideoAmp as a cross-platform currency for advanced audiences and expands iSpot’s certification on persons demos to advanced audiences.
3.  New Certifications Across Impact and Business Planning: NBCU announces the certification of 27 new measurement partners across Brand Measurement, Incrementality Measurement/Sales Impact, and Multi-Touch Attribution.
4. Building a More Inclusive Streaming Landscape: Across One Platform, NBCU reaches 8 out of 10 multicultural viewers and this past year alone, Peacock’s “Best Man: Final Chapters” premiered as the #1 title across the streaming landscape with Black audiences; the freshman season of Peacock’s critically-acclaimed “Bel Air” is Peacock’s most-watched original series; and 1 in 3 viewers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar streamed the finale via Peacock and Telemundo Deportes in Spanish, positioning NBCU as a leader in the space.

Together, these innovations, milestones, and partnerships across Data & Identity, Activation & Automation, Ad Innovation, and Measurement mark the next step in building a future for advertising that is completely interactive. From creating interoperable data sets, to commerce-enabled innovations empowering brands to interact with content and fans to interact with brands, to self-service technology connecting marketers directly with publishers and premium content – these advances will soon become the industry standard.  BCS Bureau