NBCUniversal and Germany’s RTL Group have united for a major content and ad sales partnership designed to court global marketers.
Under the deal, content from Comcast-backed NBCUniversal will land across RTL’s various TV channels and digital platforms, while the German company’s inventory will similarly be made available on NBCUniversal outlets. The deal is between NBCUniversal and RTL AdConnect, the international advertising sales house owned by the German media behemoth, which has a reach of 165 million customers in Europe.
“We’re looking to do partnerships with people who share a commitment to excellence,” KC Sullivan, president of global advertising and partnerships for NBCUniversal, tells Variety. “As part of that partnership, RTL Connect can provide reach to our content in six markets [Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg], and then in turn NBCUniversal can provide access to our total video portfolio in the U.S. and China. This is all about providing our marketing partners access to the best content globally.”
The move bolsters NBCUniversal’s One Platform offering, which allows marketers to reach audiences wherever they are across the full NBCUniversal ecosystem, and increases the brand’s footprint in key markets outside the U.S. Meanwhile, for RTL AdConnect, the partnership reinforces their own “one-stop shop” offering in Europe, and enables them to extend inventory solutions outside European borders, and establish stronger connections with brands in the U.S. and China.
Sullivan tells Variety that RTL was the ideal partner due to the “depth of its relationships” in specific European markets.
“We hear from our advertising partners both in the U.S. and China that they’d like access to more contemporary European inventory,” says Sullivan. “Now we’re able to access the 150 channels that RTL has, and we can access much deeper inventory.”
NBCUniversal would not disclose specific deal terms, or the length of the RTL deal, but Sullivan promises more international tie-ups in the years ahead with an eye on entering “markets where we don’t have as many feet on the ground.” The deal is not believed to span the companies’ streaming offerings, including NBCUniversal’s Peacock or RTL Group’s RTL Plus.
Stéphane Coruble, CEO for RTL AdConnect, said: “We are absolutely thrilled about this bilateral partnership with NBCUniversal. This new collaboration widens our international footprint with the leading U.S. broadcasting group and allows us to provide marketers with even more global advertising solutions.”