Advertising on TV to become available for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
In a move to bridge the gap between legacy media and technology giants, Comcast has announced the development of Universal Ads, a self-service platform designed for small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs). The new platform, slated for launch in the first quarter of 2023, enables advertisers to buy advertising spots against premium video content across traditional TV streaming services.
The media conglomerate revealed the platform ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 6th, already securing the support of various traditional media companies, such as NBC Universal, A+E Networks, AMC Networks, Fox Corporation, Paramount, Roku, TelevisaUnivision, Warner Bros. Discovery, DirecTV, and Xumo.
Traditional media companies have faced an advertising downturn over the past two years, with escalating competition from social media platforms that offer simpler and less costly ad-buying processes. Channel 4's CEO, Alex Mahon, described the current state of TV advertising as being in "market shock territory" and at its worst since the 2008 recession.
By removing advertising friction, platform giants like Google and Meta have attracted a long-tail of SME advertisers. Shane O'Leary, Marketing Director at Zoetis, highlighted the importance of this factor on LinkedIn: "The most transformative thing these platforms did was to create intuitive, easy-to-use, self-serve platforms, meaning any advertiser could plug in their credit card and be ready to spend in minutes."
Universal Ads has the potential to follow suit, luring SMEs back to traditional media and premium content, as Mark Marshall, Chairman of Global Advertising and Partnerships for NBCUniversal, noted, "Universal Ads has a tremendous opportunity to steal market share from our competitors in a very unique and collaborative way that will fundamentally change the advertising landscape."
Furthermore, Comcast is planning to offer businesses free AI tools to facilitate ad production. These tools will allow brands to quickly create TV-grade ads, aiming to make ad creation as effortless as it is on social media platforms. In 2024, ITV launched a similar gen AI ad production service to encourage SMEs to advertise on TV.
While Universal Ads will initially focus on streaming and SMEs, it may consider expanding to linear television and advertising agencies in the future. Ultimately, Comcast's platform aims to democratize access to premium video advertising, making it easier for businesses to reach broad audiences and for media companies to expand their ad inventory.
- The development of Universal Ads by Comcast, a self-service platform designed for small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs), is anticipated to bridge the gap between legacy media and technology giants in the advertising industry.
- Aiming to democratize access to premium video advertising, Universal Ads is slated to launch in the first quarter of 2023, enabling advertisers to buy advertising spots against premium video content across traditional TV streaming services.
- Mark Marshall, Chairman of Global Advertising and Partnerships for NBCUniversal, noted that Universal Ads has a tremendous opportunity to steal market share from competitors, fundamentally changing the advertising landscape by making ad creation as effortless as it is on social media platforms.
- To attract SME advertisers, Universal Ads will offer businesses free AI tools for ad production, allowing brands to quickly create TV-grade ads, similar to the gen AI ad production service launched by ITV in 2024. The platform may consider expanding to linear television and advertising agencies in the future.
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