Innovative Venture Between Satellite and Cable Companies Will Greatly Benefit Spot TV Advertisers
NEW YORK – DIRECTV, the world’s largest satellite television service, and NCC Media, the fast-growing advertising sales company that represents America’s cable operators and works with advertisers in every US market, have announced the formation of a groundbreaking partnership that will have a wide-ranging impact on the TV advertising industry. The new agreement will allow for one-stop access to locally place ads on a wide selection of networks in the vast majority of multichannel satellite and cable homes through NCC.
The arrangement brings DIRECTV to the spot advertising market for the first time, augments NCC Media’s portfolio of offerings to marketers, and creates a golden opportunity for DIRECTV and the cable MSO’s to grow ad revenues together. DIRECTV’s newly developed targeted ad system will be integrated with existing local market cable advertising platforms, called ‘interconnects’, greatly increasing an ad’s coverage in 25 select markets.
DIRECTV’s unique addressable technology enables zone-targeted ads to be stored within DVR enabled set top boxes, allowing for the insertion of ads in local breaks across multiple cable networks. Testing efforts are underway and the platform will be operational in the second half of 2011.
“This is a powerful and exciting partnership combining DIRECTV’s technological prowess in delivering nationally targeted advanced television services with NCC’s experienced leadership in spot sales,” says Bob Riordan, Senior Vice President, DIRECTV Advertising Sales.
“Combining DIRECTV’s ad impressions with those of our cable market interconnects will deliver a tremendous advantage to advertisers – greater local reach and penetration against targeted consumers in the best programming on television,” said NCC Media President & CEO Greg Schaefer. “And this powerful ad platform will be made available to advertisers via NCC’s sales force in 16 offices across the country – and to regional and local marketers via the local interconnect sales teams of Comcast, Cox and Time Warner Cable.”
The operation will be serviced by NCC’s vaunted E-business applications, which will seamlessly integrate the new DIRECTV subscribers into the buying and stewardship systems used by virtually every US ad agency. This integration means there will be no additional effort needed for media planners and buyers to place local ads in satellite homes via NCC or their local cable interconnect partners.
The partnership between NCC Media and DIRECTV has its roots in a proven, successful collaboration between the two organizations in the sale of advertising in regional sports networks. This working relationship has given NCC Media hands-on experience with DIRECTV’s engineering, operations and sales departments, and this ability will be fully utilized going forward.
ABOUT DIRECTV
DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is the world’s most popular video service delivering state-of-the-art technology, unmatched programming, the most comprehensive sports packages available and industry leading customer service to its more than 25.6 million customers in the U.S. and Latin America. In the U.S., DIRECTV offers its 18.6 million customers more than 130 HD channels and Dolby-Digital® 5.1 theater-quality sound (when available), access to exclusive sports programming such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET™, award winning technology like its DIRECTV® DVR Scheduler and higher customer satisfaction than the leading cable companies for nine years running. DIRECTV Latin America, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American countries, leads the pay-TV category in technology, programming and service, delivering an unrivaled digital television experience to 7 million customers. DIRECTV sports and entertainment properties include three Regional Sports Networks (Northwest, Rocky Mountain and Pittsburgh) as well as a 65 percent interest in Game Show Network. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please call 1-800-DIRECTV or visit directv.com.
ABOUT NCC MEDIA
NCC Media is the ad sales, marketing and technology organization that represents cable operators in every U.S. market. NCC Media meets marketers’ needs to target consumer prospects efficiently and effectively in the communities where they live. Jointly owned by three of the nation’s largest MSOs – Comcast Cable, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable – NCC Media is constantly evolving to maintain its status as the industry’s most effective multi-platform sales organization. Consistent innovation and growth makes NCC Media your best partner in building the media plan of tomorrow, and today.
