In a renewal of a partnership that dates to 2013, NBCUniversal and Twitter have set an expanded global relationship.
Many properties long featured on NBCU’s airwaves and digital channels will be amplified through the multi-year deal, including live sports, the Golden Globes, E! People’s Choice Awards and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Also on tap are themed programming efforts like a Black History Month initiative next month and Andy Cohen’s Twitter-only Watch What Happens Live after-show.
The media company and social network both say they have reaped benefits from the collaboration. Global video views for all NBCU handles on Twitter have grown an average of 26% and campaigns have increased 25% year over year.
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'Modern Family's Steve Levitan Shares Funny Story About Larry King Finding His Credit CardWhile NBCU retains stakes in a lot of traditional parts of the media ecosystem and likes to stress its “brand safety” relative to many emerging platforms, digital has been a key priority for the company. In announcing the extension, it said every month more than 200 million people consume more than 30 billion minutes on NBCU digital properties.
“With this strategic partnership, NBCUniversal’s leading video content meets Twitter’s worldwide reach, empowering marketers to connect with global audiences, while bringing consumers curated premium content on an engaging platform,” said Krishan Bhatia, president and chief business officer of NBCU ad sales. “The growth in digital viewing has been nothing short of explosive in recent years and together with Twitter, we’re helping our partners engage audiences in a brand-safe way—and shape key conversations as they unfold.”
Under the expanded agreement, Twitter will provide broader sales support for NBCU advertisers.
“Our collaboration will empower marketers to connect their brands to the conversation of our engaged audiences,” said Jennifer Prince, Global VP and Head of Content Partnerships, Twitter.
“We’re proud that our partnership with Twitter has grown to this global scale,” said Maggie McLean Suniewick, President, Business Development and Partnerships, Direct-to-Consumer, NBCUniversal. “As people increasingly turn to digital platforms like Twitter, we continue to expand the ways viewers can find NBCUniversal’s timely, quality content across entertainment, sports and news.”
