Blurring the lines between TV and online advertising, NBC Universal and Microsoft on Thursday announced a partnership to sell NBC Universal's broadcast and cable advertising using the software
goliath's automated planning and buying tool, Admira.
The software lets advertisers efficiently buy and target commercials to specific segments of the population, improving their
return on investment in a manner similar to what is available in the realm of online advertising.
NBC Universal properties include the NBC Television Network, USA, Bravo, Sci-Fi
Channel and MSNBC. NBC also owns a number of television stations in such major markets as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.
By bringing together multiple sources of
anonymous viewership data from across satellite and cable systems and overlaying that with buying and geo-demographic data, Microsoft's ad tool creates a unique national panel that it uses to help
advertisers find the audiences they're looking for.
Read the whole story at Wall Street Journal »