In 2019, NBCU created a new role – EVP of ad ops and platforms – to unify its ad tech, data and operations across platforms.
The move proved prescient.
A few months after ad tech vet Ryan McConville took the job, the pandemic struck, streaming became a way of life, and the advertising business underwent a rapid digital transformation that blurred – okay, pretty much erased – the line between traditional TV and digital media.
But the timing was more than just a lucky coincidence.
NBCU had already been laying the groundwork for its streaming-first future with the launch of Peacock, and recognized it needed someone who could bridge its broadcast roots with the demands of digital advertising.
“It was at this very unique time in the history of the company where they were really beginning to transform their TV platform from the traditional linear television experience to the digitized streaming experience,” McConville says on this week’s episode of AdExchanger Talks.
Suddenly things like advanced targeting, advanced audiences, advanced measurement and programmatic enablement became key components of the TV advertising playbook, says McConville, who added “chief product officer” to his title last January.
But embracing streaming doesn’t mean linear is getting sidelined. For advertisers and viewers, what’s emerging isn’t a choice between platforms but the reality of having to navigate – and measure – an increasingly blended landscape.
“The only thing that really slows it down are folks who are more comfortable with doing it the old-fashioned way, so to speak,” McConville says. “But I don’t think it’s a huge technological challenge [any longer]; the piping is in place to do these things at scale.”
Also in this episode: The importance of cross-platform measurement, NBCU’s commitment to a multi-currency world, McConville’s take on the recent dustup between Nielsen and the Video Advertising Bureau and why CES has become a key launchpad for ad tech announcements and early upfront planning.
Plus: McConville’s newfound passion for HYROX competitions and what draws him to these grueling races that combine running with feats of strength.
For more articles featuring Ryan McConville, click here.
