Two media powerhouses have joined forces. Google signed a deal with NBC Universal to begin brokering some spot TV ads on a selection of the group's cable networks including Sci Fi, Oxygen, MSNBC, CNBC, Sleuth, and Chiller.
The partnership will represent the first time Google has acted as an ad middleman for a TV network, although Google launched an auction-based online ad network with little success last year (so far integrated only with Echostar's Dish Network.)
NBC hopes Google will be able to provide it with unprecedented data on viewership and usage to help marketers make real-time adjustments in their media buys.
On the local level, NBCU and Google have also agreed to work jointly on adapting the Google TV Ads platform for local market use.
