Comcast might be spinning off its cable networks, but continues to test innovations for the assets remaining within the NBCUniversal house. Namely NBC linear broadcast and Peacock, which are expanding shoppable elements timed to coincide with the start of Black Friday shopping this weekend and primetime holiday live sports programming, including through an expanded partnership with Walmart that kicks off Thanksgiving.
On Thanksgiving Day NBCU is bringing shoppable components to live sports for the first time on NBC linear and Peacock streaming inventory, just before consumers get going on Black Friday holiday shopping. Touted as the next step in NBCU’s collaboration with the retail giant, Walmart Connect retail media shopper data will be utilized for linear TV, in another first, to help provide closed-loop sales attribution for brand’s media displayed during the live sports programming. NBC has a packed Thanksgiving Day lineup, including NFL football Thursday night with the Miami Dolphins facing off against the Green Bay Packers. That follows live coverage of the Macy’s Day Parade and The National Dog Show on NBC earlier that day.
“By teaming up with the powerhouse of Walmart and Walmart Connect, we’re differentiating the viewer experience with a first-of-its-kind shoppable activation, while also amplifying real, cross-platform accountability for marketers on one of our biggest stages,” said Alison Levin, president of Advertising & Partnerships at NBCUniversal, in a statement. “This is the next era of advertising – the most compelling content, an innovative viewer experience and real, cross-platform reach and attribution.”
For Walmart specifically, the retail giant is highlighting Black Friday offers during NBCU’s linear and streaming feeds, utilizing QR codes that viewers can use to then access deals on its website. And for the first time, is employing NBCU’s new “text-to-shop” function in its “Shop the Pod” format– which is sponsored by Walmart – to avoid disrupting the content viewing experience. It marks the first time that this available on both linear and streaming, as well as in live sports. Viewers will be able to shop using the same feature on both streaming Peacock and NBCU’s linear NBC feed.
Consumers can also shop CPG and other brands that are sold at Walmart. NBCU said those advertisers will receive closed-loop measurement to attribute sales across linear and streaming media that’s displayed during programming. This is done through an earlier viewing and retail data sharing collaboration between Walmart Connect and NBCU that leans on first-party shopping and viewing data. Notably, it marks the first time Walmart Connect retail media data is utilized for traditional linear TV.
Part of the goal for Walmart and NBCU is to show advertisers how TV can provide full-funnel performance from brand awareness down to sales attribution.
“Walmart customers love professional football – 86% of surveyed customers told us they watch the games,” said Rich Lehrfeld, general manager and SVP of Walmart Connect, in a statement. “The new advertising opportunities we’re introducing, powered by Walmart’s scale and reach, will be a game-changer in helping to solve the linear equation by tying our in-store purchase data to linear audiences.”
Being able to provide closed-loop measurement to media that runs during programming (via Walmart Connect) “was truly the missing piece of the puzzle for our brands,” an NBCU spokesperson told StreamTV Insider.
“NBCUniversal feels strongly that his partnership is going to transform live sports from here on out and change not only how an advertiser can connect to a viewer but also allow advertisers to quickly understand the power of the platform and success of their campaigns with cross platform attribution,” the spokesperson continued.
Walmart previously teamed with NBCU as a launch partner for Must Shop TV, and shoppable integrations on episodes of select Bravo series streaming on Peacock, which has since expanded. The companies said this next iteration of the partnership will extend beyond Thanksgiving.
In addition, NBCU is expanding another interactive commerce-related ad experience – Virtual Concessions – on Peacock and NBC for special holiday programming. It follows the successful debut of the Virtual Concessions feature over the summer for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It’s meant for QSR and other advertisers to offer up interactive ads that prompt viewers via QR codes to order food, beverages and other items (such as holiday snacks and gifts) before settling in for a big game or binge viewing session. The upcoming expansion extends the feature to NBCU’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center program showcasing the annual tree lighting.
The move comes as NBCU-parent Comcast separately announced official plans this month to spin off most of its cable networks – sans Bravo – into a standalone, publicly-listed company, as the broader linear pay TV continues to see declines. In addition to Bravo, NBCU is holding on to NBC broadcast and Peacock streaming assets.
