AT&T’s request for Viacom to buy Xandr ad products is separate from the typical two-minute arrangement. AT&T has expressed ambitions to create better targeting for TV commercials on its TV networks. The $70 billion-plus U.S. TV ad market still largely runs on handshakes between ad buyers and sellers. Eventually, AT&T wants to build an automated marketplace within Xandr where people can buy and sell commercial ads across TV networks with the help of AT&T data. Xandr is working to build relationships with TV networks outside AT&T, holding conversations with programmers including Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal, CBS and Fox about various ad deals.

Source: Wall Street Journal March 24, 2019 17:37 UTC