NBCU Unveils New Bid to Lure Local Sponsors

NBC has for years tried to sell glitzy video commercials to the nation’s biggest advertisers. Now it will work to do the same with some of the smallest.

After consolidating its local and national ad sales efforts in October, NBCUniversal unveiled plans to make more of its commercial inventory available to local sponsors, the latest bid by traditional media outlets to parry with big search and social giants like Google and Facebook that thrive on deals with smaller advertisers looking to connect with customers in a specific geographic region.

The company intends to open previously unavailable inventory on Peacock, YouTube and Apple News to regional and local sponsors, and make the process of buying inventory related to many of its TV networks easier. Local marketers will be able to use audience targeting technology as well as ad inventory that can be aimed at audiences in particular markets and locales.

NBCUniversal has chased smaller clients in other ways, as well, making a bid to connect marketers who might normally not buy TV advertising with new technology that allows TV and video watchers to shop for products they see highlighted in programming.

Video advertising on TV and other outlets has long been a go-to technique for big-spending ad stalwarts, but digital giants like Google and Facebook draw in millions each year by working with local businesses, start-up and regional marketers.

Other companies have also worked to court local clients. Hulu in July said it give advertisers willing to spend at least $500 access to a new self-service product, Hulu Ad Manager, that will allow small-and-medium sized businesses to launch, manage and track commercials on the streaming hub.