Comcast comes for Big Tech’s moneymaker with a small-biz-focused ad-sales platform
Seeing a local plumbing ad… after the “Yellowstone” finale. Comcast unveiled a new platform (dubbed: Universal Ads) designed to make it easier for small and midsize businesses to buy ad time on premium streamed content. FYI: Comcast owns NBCUniversal, Universal Pictures, and streamer Peacock. Universal Ads is set to launch this quarter and takes a page from tech cos like Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, which have scored advertisers by offering simplified ad-buying options.
Channel surf: DirecTV, AMC Networks, Paramount, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery all said they’d join Universal Ads.
Big tech’s ad dominance… Last year Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Google were forecast to be on the receiving end of nearly two-thirds of all US digital ad spend. Streamers have been trying to get in on the action, with experts saying there could be more revenue potential than there was for TV a decade ago. Meantime, Netflix was expected to earn $1B+ in ad revenue last year as millions of users signed up for its less expensive ad tier.
Cable needs an ad update… While smaller businesses once dominated local TV ads, they’ve struggled to get their foot in the prime-streaming door. Now, media cos like Comcast are circling back to those smaller players in hope of creating bigger ad-portunities. The Universal Ads platform could simplify ad buying through traditional TV streamers and unlock a new customer base.