NBCU, Fox, WBD, DirecTV & Comcast Execs Say Their Unusual Ad Collaboration Can Help Close The Gap With Big Tech

deadline.com:

An unusual coalition of the willing – senior execs from NBCUniversal, Fox Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery, DirecTV and Comcast – took the stage at CES on Wednesday to discuss their latest effort to compete with Big Tech.

Universal Ads, as the new venture is called, was announced Monday as a collaborative effort to combat the domination of Google, Meta and other tech giants when it comes to “SMBs,” the trade term for small and mid-sized businesses.

The essential goal is to make premium video more widely available. NBCU ads and partnerships chief Mark Marshall cited a real business called Joe’s Pizza during the panel discussion numerous times, half-jokingly but sincerely, as an example. “For Joe’s Pizza in my home town of New Canaan, CT – shoutout to Joe’s – it’s never been an option for them to advertise on Sunday Night Football.

Now they can.” The Farmer’s Dog is another national brand that would benefit from the Universal Ads opportunity, he added. Ryan Gould, EVP, Sales – Streaming, Digital, and Advanced Advertising at WBD, said members of the group are closely aligned. “We’re all trying to avoid walled gardens and democratize access to premium video,” he said.