NBCU launches its Universal Audience Platform

It’s been sufficiently reported this week, again by Online Media Daily, that NBC Universal will launch its own ad network, the Universal Audience Platform. NBCU has several online properties, including NBC.com, USA Network.com, Telemundo.com, BravoTV and NBC Sports.com, that make it ideally suited to the corporate packaging opportunity. Happily, waiting for them when they launch will be agency Demand Side Networks (DSNs) such as VivaKi and AdNetik that have so far relied on third-party ad networks and data providers to poach NBCU’s digital audience.

It’s a good plan for all concerned if it means NBCU gets to exert more control over its audience and inventory and if it gives advertisers greater certainty about the nature of the inventory they buy. On paper it should support value in the middle of the display ad chain, which is critical.

An especially good outcome down the road would be a desire on the part of NBCU to expand the size of its Universal Audience Platform (Network) and start packaging long tail Hispanic sites (for instance) under Telemundo.com or entertainment sites (also for instance) under USA Network.com. In this fashion, NBCU uses the network model to leverage their media brands, not just their media audiences, adding more value to the communities they serve and adding more audience opportunities to the advertisers that depend on them.

Just a thought.

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