Linda Yaccarino: Celebs Rumors

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Linda Yaccarino, who spends most of her day trying to sell advertisers on NBCUniversal commercial inventory, will take on a new task of trying to do something similar with actors and artists. Yaccarino was named global chair of YMU, a British talent-management group, replacing Harvey Goldsmith, who left the company in 2021. Yaccarino will retain her role at NBCU, where she is global chairman of global advertising and partnerships. “Linda’s appointment shows the scale of ambition for the Group – her value, knowledge and expertise will enable us to deliver an even better service to our clients and turbo charge our international growth,’ said Mary Bekhait, YMU’s global CEO, in a statement.

NBCUniversal’s advertising and partnerships group has formalized a new executive structure reflecting its recent moves to streamline efforts in broadcast, cable, sports and streaming.

NBCUniversal (NBCU) has signed BBC Studios Global Distribution COO Maggy Chan to lead its global advertising and partnerships in the U.S., EMEA and Asia Pacific, replacing KC Sullivan, who recently became CNBC President.

Laura Molen, who rose to president of advertising sales at NBCUniversal during a decade-long run, has announced plans to depart the company early next year.

NBCUniversal is getting the jump on the new year, announcing dates for its NewFronts and upfronts presentations next May while touting the ways it has “fueled fandom, growth, and innovation” in 2022.

Linda Yaccarino, head of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, says despite the intense backlash over his two-plus weeks operating Twitter, Elon Musk deserves patience from the company’s advertisers and business partners.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Kim Kelleher added oversight of distribution revenue to her portfolio at AMC Networks, a substantial enlargement of her duties at the content company that was recently put under the aegis of a new CEO. Kelleher, who will continue to supervise advertising sales and partnerships, has been named chief commercial officer of the company, best known for its flagship cable network and influential series like “Better Call Saul” and “The Walking Dead.” “A cohesive, forward-looking commercial revenue team that has responsibility for all of our valuable partner relationships across advertisers, affiliates and new digital platforms makes strong strategic sense and Kim is the perfect executive to lead it,” said Christina Spade, who was recently named CEO of AMC Networks, in a statement. “She has brought her own unique talent, ingenuity and dynamic leadership to our commercial revenue group. We are thrilled to apply her abilities to an even more comprehensive role to drive the company’s top-line growth.” Kelleher will report to Spade.

In today’s traditional doubleheader opening of the upfronts in New York, Fox and NBCUniversal execs took digs at the “paywall” strategy of Netflix and Disney, in the first of many salvos expected this week.

NBCUniversal is expanding its relationship with ad tracking firm iSpot, telling a room full of media buyers today that it will offer the company’s data as official currency starting at its May upfront.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorDan Lovinger, a veteran ad-sales executive who has helped supervised outreach to advertisers for NBCUniversal venues ranging from prime-time TV shows to “Sunday Night Football” and the Super Bowl, is getting a new assignment.Lovinger will oversee all efforts aimed at getting advertisers to sponsor NBCUniversal’s Olympics and Paralympics broadcasts, a pillar of the company’s programming strategy representing hundreds of hours worth of some of TV’s highest-priced inventory. Lovinger, who had been an executive vice president, has been elevated to president, and will report directly to Linda Yaccarino, NBCU’s global chairman of advertising sales and partnerships.

NBCUniversal has confirmed it will host its annual upfront presentation to advertisers on May 16, an in-person event to be preceded by several other spring presentations to media buyers.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorNBCUniversal has pushed in recent months to change the way TV audiences are measured and to shake up the methods Madison Avenue uses to place ads, but at least one thing about the Comcast-backed media conglomerate will remain the same: the location of its main upfront presentation.NBCU pledged to hold forth from Radio City Music Hall once again, just as it has for many years before the coronavirus pandemic scuttled the in-person extravaganzas that have become so much a part of the TV networks’ annual pitch to advertisers. The owner of the NBC, MSNBC and USA networks said it would kick off the industry’s annual Upfront Week on May 16, with an evening event aimed at promoting Spanish-language outlet Telemundo, marking a return to at least some of the traditions of the annual market, when U.S.

NBCUniversal has wrapped its upfront advertising sales for the upcoming season, describing it as a “watershed moment and a clear signal that everything has changed.”

At One21, a new event for media buyers that emulates a tech-industry developer conference, NBCUniversal announced new partnerships with Facebook, Instagram and The Trade Desk.

Looking to emulate the approach of tech companies’ developer conferences, NBCUniversal has scheduled an event in March it is calling “One21.”

Comcast is uniting its NBCUniversal and Sky business units with a new advertising and partnerships offering. The company revealed the new ad solution during an industry update event that it streamed to its advertising clients Monday morning.

By Brian Steinberg

NBCUniversal will reduce advertising loads across its networks and add more entertainment and news content as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues, and as families quarantine at home. “Now, people all across America are turning to us more for the content that comforts them and connects them to the outside world,” NBCUniversal ad sales and partnerships chairman Linda Yaccarino wrote Monday in a blog post.

By Jill Goldsmith

Comcast's NBCUniversal and Sky divisions have unveiled the executive team for their new global advertising and partnerships services unit. KC Sullivan will lead the unified Global Advertising & Partnerships team as president & managing director of global advertising & partnerships, the companies said on Thursday.

Dade Hayes Finance EditorNBCUniversal and Sky have set the leadership team for their One Platform Global Advertising & Partnerships initiative, which was first announced last month.President and Managing Director of Global Advertising & Partnerships KC Sullivan will lead the unified group and bring the offering to market. Sullivan, who was previously president and managing director of CNBC International, will now report to NBCU Chairman Linda Yaccarino and “partner closely” with Sky Chief Business Officer Patrick Béhar.Within the new global organization, Andrew Mortimer will now lead NBCUniversal + Sky Global Partnerships.

Also Read: NBC Fall Schedule: 'Law & Order: Organized Crime' to Air Thursday After 'SVU'“At NBCUniversal, we’re excited to produce an Upfront that reflects a new reality and celebrates our relationship with viewers and advertisers alike,” said Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal. “Historically, this event is about the future of programming; this year, it’s about the future of our industry–a future where we can meet audiences wherever they are, with the stories that move them.

Dade Hayes Finance EditorIn an open letter to advertisers Monday, NBCUniversal ad chief Linda Yaccarino offered a response to recent demands that media companies shift to a calendar-year upfront. She said transformation in the advertising business is a “shared responsibility” for the buy side and the sell side and made what she admits is an “ambitious call to action” for much broader change.The evolution of the TV ad business has taken on new urgency in 2020 in light of COVID-19, which has sidelined live sports and shut down production of TV programming.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorAt a time when Madison Avenue appears to be picking a fight with the nation’s TV networks, NBCUniversal says it won’t take the bait.The Comcast-owned company in a Monday letter to ad buyers and agencies urged advertisers to tackle bigger issues than a shift in TV’s annual “upfront” ad sales marketplace, a move for which many in the advertising community are calling.