• by Wayne Friedman , May 8, 2013

AT&T AdWorks says it has signed Cox Media and other TV program distributors for its new Television Audience Network.

The deal will reach Cox cable system subscribers, numbering approximately 6 million. Now its Television Audience Network (TAN) has a reach across the top 25 DMAs. AT&T is also in negotiations with two or three other multichannel video program distributors, according to sources.

The AT&T AdWorks TAN system creates a data-optimized media plan to reach target audiences, with messaging running on AT&T U-verse, as well as on TV video providers. TAN will deliver a media plan with guaranteed demo impressions. This platform hopes to expand beyond local media ad buys.

Mike Zeigler, vice president of business development and operations for Cox Media, stated: “Cox Media and AT&T AdWorks are now able to provide advertisers with the ability to target specific demographics with an impression-based pricing model."

“With fragmented ratings and growing CPMs -- advertisers are looking for new cost-efficient ways to reach their target audiences on television,” said Mike Welch, president, AT&T AdWorks.

AT&T AdWorks is also part of the TV cable sales representative NCC Media's "I+" (Interconnect Plus) platform, a local "hard-wired" cable advertising system, which includes a number TV program distributors.

Steve Farella, CEO of Maxxcom Global Media, added: "It will allow our clients to deliver advertising to their audiences with targeting that goes beyond age and gender -- and at scale."

AT&T AdWorks has a number of other related products for advertisers, including its Reflection service, which uses aggregate and anonymous TV viewing data from more than 12.5 million U-verse subscribers and mobile content usage to target audiences online.