As the decade turns, networks are exploring new ways to address content on a programming level. In an interview with Beet.TV, Dan Callahan, senior vice president of data and sales innovation for Fox explains how the network is making progress.
Callahan explains what opportunities Fox is tapping into heading into the New Year.
“For us, the New Year opportunity looks like linear creative ad-versioning with national scale,” says Callahan. “So taking a spot that’s across the Fox footprint nationally and divvying that up within specific households that we know more information about.”
Fox Networks are embracing addressability. According to Callahan, this allows the advertiser to create a more intimate message to a consumer that they know has a specific character trait. Within any national spot, they’re able to run an ACR technology the background, picking up SCTE markers and cue tones, along with on-the-glass watermarking that’s capturing what is taking place, and as this has all evolved, Fox has felt more comfortable taking a national spot and splitting it up eight to 10 different ways.
“Right now the way it’s worked for us, we can do this in two different 10-million household footprints today,” says Callahan. “My hope is that more Smart TV manufacturers and MVPDs adopt standardization and utilize similar tech.”
This changes the dynamic of the ad buy. It creates an enhancement and a different level of opportunity and Callahan is hopeful there is some added value tacked on because of the addressability. When there’s data available to specifically address a consumer, Fox is excited for what it can lead to.
Looking ahead, Callahan is also excited for live sports coverage on Fox. Not only did this perform well for the network last year, but this year, they’ll be the home of the Super Bowl among other major sporting events.
“Live sports is a great business to be in,” says Callahan. “The story with the Women’s World Cup and the World Series going seven games, NFL and college football this season have done huge numbers for us, so I think the position that Fox is in with live sports as our foundation is fantastic.”
This video is part of the Beet.TV series title the Road to CES 2020, a preview of the topics expected to be explored in Las Vegas in January. The series is presented by Samsung Ads. For more videos please visit this page.
