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."
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.
A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) aims to tackle the spread of misinformation on social media platforms, as well as the addictive nature of the sites and negative mental health impacts they have on users. The 'Nudge Act' would require studies to find and compile potential interventions that platforms could use to encourage people to think before they share a post, or log off after spending too much time on an app. The FTC would create rules based on these findings, and hold the platforms accountable. But will it work? Jesse Lehrich, co-founder of Accountable Tech, joins Closing Bell to discuss the bill, whether real results and regulations could come from it, and more.
A.I.-based entertainment company, Deedub, recently raised
$20 million in a Series A round, led by Insight Partners. Deepdub uses A.I. technology to automate the dubbing process for foreign-language movies or TV shows, while using actors' original voices. The company says it can take just two to three minutes of data from an actor's voice and transform the voice into a different language. The funding comes as foreign-language films and shows like Netflix's 'Squid Game' have recently become more popular with audiences in the U.S. and around the world. Oz Krakowski, Chief Revenue Officer at Deepdub, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
