NBCUniversal's Linda Yaccarino: Expect $1 Billion in Revenue for 2018 Olympics
Media and advertising leaders gathered Thursday night at the 64th Annual Ad Council Public Service Award Dinner. Cheddar's Kristen Scholer spoke with NBCUniversal Chairman of Advertising Sales and Client Partnership, Linda Yaccarino, about the future of advertising.
Yaccarino shares NBCUniversal's goals in advertising for 2018. The new year kicks off with a heavy slate of events, including the Golden Globes, Super Bowl, and PyeongChang Olympics. Yaccarino says the network is on track to generate $1 Billion in advertising revenue for its Olympic coverage.
Next year NBCUniversal is planning to stream every event live so viewers can get the coverage in real time, says Yaccarino. When looking at cross-platform coverage, Yaccarino says its all about content and dominance. "What's really happening is a convergence of opportunity for the advertisers," said Yaccarino. "[Advertisers] want to be part of the Olympics to aggregate the biggest audiences."
Ride share competitors Uber and Lyft both posted their fourth quarter earnings days apart from each other. Both companies have been trying to get back on their feet after taking some pandemic-related hits, but the Omicron variant had other ideas as the year came to a close, with each company taking a hit in ridership in December. Lance Ippolito, head trader at The Future of Wealth explains how Uber and Lyft measured up this earnings period and why Uber may still have an edge over the competition.
Parallel Systems has been selected to receive $4.5 million from the Department of Energy for an advanced testing program of its autonomous, battery-electric rail vehicles. The startup, which has raised more than $53 million to date, was founded by former SpaceX engineers to reimagine the rail system by creating a more efficient, decarbonized freight network. Matt Soule, Co-founder & CEO of Parallel Systems, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what the company hopes to achieve.
