Sinclair Broadcast Group and Imagine Communications Collaborates on Next-Gen Monetization Solutions
January 10, 2018 at 06:13 pm
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Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. and Imagine Communications are working to accelerate the development of a new, next-generation advertising management software platform designed to provide broadcasters with the ability to effectively exploit the potential of the new monetization opportunities of ATSC 3.0 digital television technology. The agreement allows SBG to play a critical role in the development of Imagine’s next-generation business process systems for traffic, ad sales and data analytics that allow for unit- and impression-based buys. SBG will provide oversight in the product development process through its unique business insights, technical and business requirements and industry expertise to help ensure the platform will effectively address the capabilities of new advanced advertising models. In addition, SBG has committed to a rollout of beta testing for both ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 models, helping to ensure that innovative solutions are applied to the new platform that accommodate the overall broadcast industry. Both companies anticipate this collaboration will help to accelerate the adoption of ATSC 3.0 by giving broadcasters the advertising management tools that enable them to fully realize the sales opportunities afforded by a multiservice delivery model. Imagine Communications’ xG™ platform is a modular, next-generation advertising management solution that is designed to enable broadcasters and other media companies to maximize the value of commercial airtime and optimize the efficiency of their business to sell either by traditional unit-based models or impression-based models that can be effective across all delivery platforms, including linear, nonlinear, on-demand and mobile. Imagine’s open, cloud-capable software platform provides a broad set of functionalities, including inventory and yield optimization, inventory management and back-end business processing, as well as predictive analytics and reporting. The xG platform is designed to work across all types of media advertising and distribution.
Sinclair, Inc. is a diversified media company and a provider of local news and sports. The Company operates through two segments: Local Media, and Tennis. Its Local Media segment is comprised of its television stations. It produces more than 2,400 hours of news per week at 115 stations in 73 markets. Its Tennis segment primarily consists of Tennis Channel, a cable network which includes coverage of many of tennis' top tournaments and original professional sports and tennis lifestyle shows. Its content is delivered via multiple platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and the streaming aggregator of local news content, NewsON. The Company owns, operates and provides services to 185 television stations in 86 markets affiliated with all the various broadcast networks, and owns Tennis Channel and multicast networks Comet, CHARGE!, TBD., and The Nest. The Company also owns and provides services to 21 regional sports network brands.