Podcast Summary: AdExchanger Talks — "Channel Surfing The Future, With NBCU"

Episode Date: January 6, 2026
Host: Allison Schiff (Managing Editor, AdExchanger)
Guest: Ryan McConville (Chief Product Officer and EVP of Ad Platforms, NBCUniversal)
Main Theme:
Exploring the future of TV advertising with NBCUniversal: advances in cross-platform measurement, new ad formats and biddable models, and NBCU’s approach to monetization and technology heading into a high-stakes year packed with marquee live events.

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Ryan McConville from NBCUniversal (NBCU) around the transformation of the TV advertising landscape. With the convergence of linear and streaming distribution, NBCU’s new ad innovations, the push toward unified measurement, and a jam-packed 2026 live event slate (Winter Olympics, Super Bowl, NBA Playoffs, and more), the discussion covers the challenges and opportunities facing media companies and advertisers. McConville also shares insights on programmatic TV, change management, and the evolving role of technology at NBCU.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Intro & NBCU Role Evolution

• [02:29-03:21] Fun fact about Ryan: He’s become an avid participant in Hyrox, a competitive fitness race combining running and feats of strength (“A five mile race broken into eight parts… at the end of every kilometer, you do a feat of strength, like rowing, sandbag lunges, hundred wall balls, pushing a heavy sled…” – Ryan McConville)
• Career Path: McConville reflects on joining NBCU in 2019 as EVP of Advertising Platforms & Operations, a newly formed role created to bridge traditional linear with emerging digital and streaming ad tech.
  • "[NBCU] was really beginning to transform their TV platform from traditional linear to digitized streaming... Technology, and specifically ad technology, has taken on a bigger role within television." – Ryan McConville [05:08]

2. The "One Platform" Vision: Streaming Meets Linear

• [08:12-09:48]
  • NBCU’s unified ad platform ("One Platform") integrates linear and streaming to maximize reach and flexibility.
  • “We can communicate with 82% of households on every screen across streaming and linear every month. And next year, with our live events, you’re talking about being able to reach 286 million people.” – Ryan McConville [08:12]
  • Example: The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade reached 74 million viewers across linear + streaming in one day.

3. Measurement, Engagement & Data

• [10:27-12:22]
  • Allison queries how ads perform during events where TV is background content rather than the main focus.
  • McConville discusses NBCU’s collaboration with 60+ measurement partners to prove engagement and campaign efficacy, referencing their new "Performance Insights Hub"—a real-time analytics dashboard announced at CES.
  • "The proof is essentially in the pudding... we bring measurement companies to bear to show that it’s working.” – Ryan McConville [11:51]
  • "The proof is in the stuffing." — Allison Schiff [11:51]

4. The State of Cross-Platform Measurement (VAB vs Nielsen, JIC)

• [12:29-18:48]
  • The podcast addresses industry disputes over cross-platform TV measurement (notably, a recent VAB vs Nielsen flare-up).
  • NBCU’s stance: Multi-currency future is critical; no single measurement provider will suffice.
  • "We want to embrace solutions that help advertisers and agency partners run their businesses most efficiently and effectively..." – Ryan McConville [16:46]
  • Significant progress made in "full-funnel" measurement—going beyond counting reach to considering how ads drive search, web traffic, and lower funnel outcomes.

5. Are Linear and Streaming Operationally Unified?

• [18:48-23:39]
  • From NBCU’s perspective, cross-platform (linear + streaming) activation is essentially here technologically, but some market inertia remains.
  • “It doesn’t really make sense for advertisers to not do [cross-platform activations]... targeting and measurement planning and activation—those things are all in place. The only thing that really slows it down is folks who are just more comfortable with doing it the old-fashioned way.” – Ryan McConville [19:07]
  • Change management is crucial; it’s not about tech, but about teaching and stewardship (“Change for change, you gotta catch yourself... but sometimes a week from now, you realize it’s better.” – Ryan McConville, [23:18])

6. CES as a New "Upfronts" for Tech

• [24:05-26:04]
  • CES now serves as a key moment for media and tech announcements, especially around ad products and data.
  • "It’s a good way to kick off the year and talk about the new technologies that will feed into upfront conversations." – Ryan McConville [24:55]

7. Major New Ad Products & Live Event Monetization

A) Live Total Impact and Real-Time Retargeting

• [33:07-37:59]
  • "Live Total Impact" enables capturing viewers exposed during major live events and retargeting them cross-platform, akin to social-style retargeting for TV.
  • "The arrival of digital ad tech to TV is raising the bar... Imagine doing what you do in mobile/social, but with premium storytelling on the 70-inch screen in the living room." – Ryan McConville [33:12]
  • Early results: +10% awareness/memorability, +70% search engagement, and 7x more site visits for retargeted viewers.
  • "The TV platform is still really good at the top of the funnel... but now you can use data and ad tech to re-expose and move folks through the funnel." [36:37]

B) Massive 2026 Live Event Slate

• [37:59-41:10]
  • NBCU dubs “Legendary February”: In 17 days, Winter Olympics, Super Bowl, NBA All-Star, reaching 2/3 of all Americans.
  • 7,500 hours of live events in 2026; 70% live programming.
  • "We’re launching the first self-serve ad manager for the Olympics — any small business with a credit card can buy Olympic inventory, not just enterprise DSPs." – Ryan McConville [38:48]

C) Creative Real-Time Ad Experiences

• [41:10-43:45]
  • Ads can react in real-time to in-game moments (e.g., paper towel ad after a fumble).
  • Carefully curated; not gimmicky or ham-fisted. Uses AI to detect moments but relies on pre-approved creative and human oversight.

8. Programmatic TV & Quality Assurance

• [43:45-45:57]
  • As NBCU brings more biddable programmatic ad inventory online (e.g., programmatic pause ads, DSP access for Olympics), quality control is maintained with sophisticated AI and custom QA checks (mezzanine video files, brand safety, ad exclusivities).
  • "As we democratize access... we’re not sacrificing the quality of the ads users are seeing." [45:57]

9. Ad IDs: The Unsexy Yet Critical Ingredient

• [45:57-51:11]
  • Ad IDs (unique creative codes) are crucial for cross-platform attribution and frequency control, but digital side adoption lags (only 15% of digital creative uses it).
  • "Part of the difficulty is its wonkiness... Everyone agrees they want accurate measurement, but many fail to realize measurement is derived from logs, and creatives are often named differently across the supply chain." – Ryan McConville [46:51]
  • On linear TV, adoption is near universal due to enforced processes. More education and change management needed for streaming/digital.

10. Shoppable TV: Where’s the Adoption?

• [51:19-53:58]
  • Allison voices skepticism around shoppable TV (“It takes me out of the experience…”), but Ryan remains optimistic, citing parallels to e-commerce and social buying’s initially slow adoption.
  • "It remains to be seen... but getting the user flow right, there's still a ton of promise." – Ryan McConville [51:58]

11. Looking Ahead at CES

• [53:58-55:34]
  • Outside of work, Ryan hopes to glimpse AI consumer innovations ("agentic AI"), but usually doesn’t get the chance while on the CES grind.
  • “If I’m lucky to get free time... I’ll report back about the most interesting things I find.” – Ryan McConville [54:38]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The combination of distribution and audiences across both platforms brought together is the secret sauce of the modern TV stack.” — Ryan McConville [09:48]
• “Change for change, you gotta catch yourself. But sometimes a week from now, you realize it’s better.” — Ryan McConville [23:18]
• “We’re launching... the first time a small business... can log onto the Internet with a credit card, and set up to buy inventory in the Olympics...” — Ryan McConville [38:48]
• "Everyone agrees they want accurate measurement, but many fail to realize measurement is derived from logs, and creatives are often named differently across the supply chain." — Ryan McConville [46:51]
• “Put the ad ID in the right spot, please! ...It’ll be my holiday gift.” — Allison Schiff and Ryan McConville [51:11/51:15]

Key Timestamps for Segments

• Personal intro, NBCU role’s evolution [02:20-06:50]
• Transformation to “One Platform” [08:12-09:48]
• Cross-platform measurement debate (VAB, Nielsen, JIC) [12:29-18:48]
• Cross-platform operational reality and change management [18:48-23:39]
• CES as media/tech announcement hub [24:05-26:04]
• NBCU’s 2026 live event slate and monetization strategy [37:59-41:10]
• AI-powered, real-time TV ads; programmatic TV QA [41:10-45:57]
• The perennial ad ID headache [45:57-51:11]
• Shoppable TV adoption [51:19-53:58]
• CES wish list [53:58-55:34]

Takeaways

• NBCU is investing heavily in unifying the experience of TV advertising across streaming and linear, supporting multi-currency measurement, and pioneering new programmatic, data-driven ad products.
• The biggest near-term challenges aren’t technical but involve education and change management—especially convincing the market to adopt critical under-the-hood standards (like ad IDs).
• 2026 will test NBCU’s new ad innovations across a once-in-a-generation convergence of global live sports and cultural events.

For listeners:
If you want to understand where TV ad tech is headed—especially as the gap between digital and “TV” closes—this episode offers an engaging and honest look from one of the industry’s key players, packed with firsthand insights and real-world perspective.