• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, February 24, 2014

NBC News, which was an early adopter of “native” formats -- ads that are disguised to look like editorial content -- online, is bringing them to TV. In what it claims is an industry first, NBCUniversal will produce 30-second pieces of content for Xerox that will air on its broadcast and cable TV news and sports channels.

The segments, which NBC calls “30 Seconds to Know,” feature original video produced by both its news and sports programming networks, and will focus on “complicated topics in a quick and simple format.”

The new native units, which begin airing today on NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBCSN and the Golf Channel, are part of a year-long “cross-portfolio” deal negotiated by GroupM’s MEC unit for Xerox.

NBCU described the content as “original video” featuring “30-second snapshots of the day’s headlines, produced by and curated for each network audience, including ‘Why does the price of gas fluctuate?,’ ‘Are Black Holes dangerous?’ and ‘How should you analyze your golf round?’”

“People today consume content on the go. They want easy, digestible information to become better informed about wide-ranging topics,” said Seth Winter, executive vice president, News and Sports Advertising Sales Group, NBCUniversal.

“Simplifying how audiences consume news pairs well with Xerox’s commitment to help businesses simplify the way people work,” says Winter in a statement announcing the deal.

“We were impressed with NBCUniversal’s integrated approach to media sponsorship across their various platforms,” adds Barbara Basney, vice president-global advertising and media at Xerox. “We’re able to ensure brand consistency across the key networks we advertise on most – news and sports. This, coupled with the straightforward concept of ‘30 Seconds to Know’ aligns our company’s business focus on simplifying complexity.”