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Comcast and other TV streamers are now chasing YouTube’s ad dollars instead of the other way around
In a stunning shift in the advertising landscape, Comcast and other TV streamers have suddenly found themselves chasing after YouTube’s ad dollars, rather than the other way around. This dramatic change is a direct result of the growing dominance of social video platforms.
According to James Rooke, president of Comcast Advertising, the real competition in the industry does not lie between TV providers or streaming services, but rather with social video itself. In an interview at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Rooke emphasized that TV providers and streamers are actually doing really well in terms of growing their connected TV businesses and app revenue.
However, the majority of growth is now coming from social video platforms, which has prompted Comcast to decide on a new strategy: chasing net new dollars where the growth is taking place. By launching “universal ads,” Comcast aims to simplify buying TV ads and make it easier for marketers to access premium video content that is brand-safe.
This new approach has been made possible by the launch partners that will be providing inventory for universal ads, including A+E, AMC Networks, DIRECTV, Fox Corporation, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Roku, TelevisaUnivision, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Xumo.
It’s worth noting that YouTube has been actively working towards capturing more TV ad dollars, particularly as its service became more popular on TVs. Today, nearly half of YouTube’s viewership comes from television sets.
In essence, the shift in strategy by Comcast and other TV streamers is a response to the growth of social video platforms like YouTube.
Source: techcrunch.com
