NEW YORK, May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Sinclair Broadcast Group (“Sinclair”) (Nasdaq: SBGI) and Operative Media announced they have entered into a multi-year enterprise partnership agreement, which aims to transform the way local and national media is transacted across all digital and linear platforms throughout the industry. With this partnership, Sinclair will become the first local television broadcaster to consolidate all sellable assets across its platforms and markets into a single ad sales system, creating a unified brand experience for customers and sellers.
To realize this partnership, Sinclair will utilize Operative’s next generation advertising sales management technology platform, AOS, to facilitate the movement of all of its inventory types (linear and digital) to a common impression-based currency. This new model provides tremendous upside for marketers in an environment where viewership fragmentation has made it difficult and time consuming to not only identify audiences at scale, but also to buy and execute against them.
Operative’s AOS platform automates workflows across planning, order management, inventory management, stewardship and billing, driving efficiency into the way Sinclair works internally across its portfolio and externally with its customers. These significant operational efficiencies are coupled with improved capabilities needed to integrate with a multitude of partners and technology companies, to provide the foundation that enables marketplaces and will support Sinclair’s current products, such as Compulse 360 and ZypTV.
“We already provide a unique opportunity for marketers to engage consumers of all kinds, and Operative’s technology will further consolidate and simplify our sales process,” said Rob Weisbord, President of Broadcast & Chief Advertising Revenue Officer of Sinclair. “It will bring this concept to our markets in a way that is easily managed by our various sellers and the portfolios of inventory they represent. It will provide them flexibility to dynamically manage audience and spend allocations across Sinclair’s broad asset catalog.”
The partnership also provides automated integrations with key buying systems that shorten the time it takes to develop plans, deliver reports and invoices to customers, and also significantly reduce discrepancies between buyers and sellers by passing all data electronically between the buy and sell systems. Finally, the introduction of yield tools helps deliver improved outcomes for both Sinclair and their customers by optimizing inventory utilization, delivery and make goods.
“This is an opportunity to align our proven track record in the broadcast industry with Operative’s technological expertise, to create a simple solution that we believe will change the way advertisers connect with consumers across all devices,” said Brian Bark, CIO of Sinclair. “This new platform will empower advertisers with the ability to optimize campaigns across Sinclair’s distinguished portfolio of content, while altering the way the industry does business — paving the way for other media companies in the process.”
“AOS is the perfect solution to simplify and optimize every aspect of the buying and selling process across Sinclair’s extensive brands,” said Lorne Brown, CEO of Operative. “This exciting partnership will help Sinclair improve business outcomes for themselves and their customers. It is a very exciting step forward for the local market.”
About Operative Media
Operative is the preferred broadcast management for linear and digital, and a software partner for over 300 of the world’s top media brands, including NBCU, CBS, ABC, AT&T, STARZ, Star India, Seven Australia and Sky. No other software company brings a comparable depth of experience to create truly innovative software that performs across all platforms, revenue models, and business units. Since 2000, Operative has grown to over 1200+ employees in 12 offices around the world and processes more than $40 billion in linear and digital advertising revenue for the best-known companies in the industry. For more information, visit www.operative.com
About Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair is a diversified media company and leading provider of local sports and news. The Company owns and/or operates 21 regional sports network brands; owns, operates and/or provides services to 186 television stations in 87 markets; is a leading local news provider in the country; owns multiple national networks; and has TV stations affiliated with all the major broadcast networks. Sinclair’s content is delivered via multiple platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and digital platforms. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information, which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.
SOURCE Operative
