Google moves into TV advertising; strikes pact with NBC Universal

09 September 2008

Google is no longer content to be the king of the online marketplace. In addition to extending its hegemony over cyberspace by tying up with Yahoo, an act under the US Justice Department's scrutiny, its ambition to expand into the TV advertising market has been boosted by a multi-year deal with US media giant NBC Universal to sell ads across several of its cable networks. (See: Advertising body opposes Yahoo-Google ad deal; authorities may take antitrust action)

Under the agreement, which comes 16 months after Google struck its first TV ad sales deal with satellite TV company Dish Network, the search engine giant will sell ads across NBC Universal cable networks Sci Fi, Oxygen, MSNBC, Sleuth and Chiller through its Google TV Ads service.

The two companies have labelled the tie-up a "strategic multi-year advertising, research and technology partnership" and said that they would work together to develop more effective advertising metrics and "attract non-traditional advertising partners".

"Advertisers using the Google TV Ads platform can reach NBCU Cable's national audience and gain access to viewership data at an unprecedented scale," the NBC Universal and Google statement said.

Google's deal with NBC Universal marks a significant step in the company's ambition to become a one-stop shop for advertisers across all media by expanding its self-service AdWords system to other sectors.

"The Google TV ads platform is making television advertising more accountable and measurable and we are pleased with our progress to date," said Tim Armstrong, the president of advertising and commerce for Google North America.

"Our partnership with NBCU will help us to bring the power of television to a broader set of advertisers as well as give our current advertisers increased reach through our system," Armstrong added. Mike Pilot, president of NBC Universal sales and marketing, seconded his views.