• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, May 15, 2013

Accentuating a theme during upfront week, Turner sought to convey Wednesday that it offers an omni-channel video experience, rather than just TV networks -- and that its networks are intent on providing advertisers with extensive research to justify their buys.

“We want to work hard to become a multiscreen video company,” said Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks at an upfront presentation for TNT and TBS.

In that vein, Turner said it would launch an opportunity to watch live streams of the two networks online -- via tablets, iPhones, etc. -- this summer. Sister network CNN has already launched the service on an authenticated basis.

Separately, Koonin said Turner is “harnessing the power of Big Data” -- partly to demonstrate that buyers should no longer rely on age/gender audience breakdowns to plan buys.

“Demos don’t tell the full story anymore,” he said.

He mentioned Athena, a Greek goddess of wisdom, as a brand for Turner research initiatives and cited proprietary algorithms, behavioral data and Facebook research as tools.   

In an interview after the presentation, David Levy, who heads ad sales for Turner, said the company hasn’t offered guarantees yet based on buys using data connecting ad viewing with purchasing behavior, but may this upfront.

Turner spends a lot of time noting that ratings don’t necessarily reflect the value of Conan O’Brien on TBS. His younger-skewing audience and social media popularity -- perhaps a proxy for loyalty and engagement -- offer evidence that other metrics should be considered.

Levy said reach and ratings are of course important, but building “communities” around shows with social media as a propeller is critical. “Conan” had a fully crowdsourced episode, while TNT’s “Rizzoli & Isles” has a devoted online fellowship.

O’Brien’s viewers can use an app that offers a real-time two-screen experience. There is wider debate in the industry about how popular second-screening will become, but Levy said with “Conan,” usage is “actually pretty high for synced apps.”

“The second screen is about communities,” he said.

Under Koonin, TNT helped usher in the era of breakout original programming on cable with “The Closer,” and he said the term basic cable has become “an oxymoron – there’s nothing basic about it.”

Keeping with its summer focus, TNT has nine originals slated for the next few months. New crime drama “King & Maxwell” is coming, along with three unscripted series, including “Cold Justice” from “Law & Order” mastermind Dick Wolf.

In 2014, former ABC series “Cougar Town” will return to TBS. Also coming to the network is “Trust Me, I’m A Game Show Host” from Mark Burnett starring D.L. Hughley and Michael Ian Black.

Also this fall, comedian Pete Holmes will get a late-night show following “Conan.”

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