i3 - March/April 2020 - 8

Tech

By Cindy Loffler Stevens

I N N OVATO R

Linda Yaccarino,
Chairman,
Advertising and
Partnerships,
NBCUniversal

MARCH/APRIL 2020

i3_0320_Tech_Innovator.indd 8

platform Peacock. With Saturday Night
Live, the Olympics, NBC News and its
line-up of stars, the platform is expected
to debut in April. She also was named
"CEO of Tomorrow" by Business Week,
one of the Ten Most Powerful Women
in TV, and Business Insider's The 10
People Transforming Advertising,
among many honors.
She talked with i3 about how the
media and entertainment industries are
being transformed. As new technologies
disrupt the way consumers search for
and consume content, content creators,
distributors, marketers and everyone in
the ecosystem must change.

Q Can you talk about how streaming

is changing the industry and the launch
of Peacock?
A Here's the thing: it's not streaming that's
changing the industry. It's people. What
audiences do determines and shapes the
market. We know audiences are watching all
kinds of content, and streaming gives them
more choices, so they're taking advantage
of that freedom. It's interesting to see people
seek out alternatives to what could now be

Joseph Moran

inda Yaccarino is leading a transformation at Comcast
NBCUniversal and Sky, one of the world's leading media companies. As NBCUniversal's chairman of advertising and partnerships since 2011, she oversees all premium video
monetization across broadcast, cable, and digital; advanced
advertising technology; insights and measurement; and business marketing and strategy with advertising revenue totaling
nearly $10 billion. With a 1,500-person team, she aims to connect established and emerging brands to hundreds of millions of viewers - driving
economic impact for not just her company, but entire industries.
Prior to joining NBCUniversal in 2011, she held roles of increasing
responsibility from 1996 to 2011 at Turner Broadcasting System Inc.,
including serving as executive vice president and COO, Turner
Entertainment Advertising, sales and marketing, and acquisitions beginning in 2009. Prior to joining Turner, Yaccarino held various management positions at several media sales outlets. She also serves as
independent director of Ascena Retail.
Her CES keynote, "NBCUniversal Reimagines the Future of
Entertainment," took a deep dive into innovation in the entertainment
market, with cutting-edge technology and content that entertains and
informs across all screens. Hosted by Today's Natalie Morales, panelists
also included Mandy Moore of This Is Us, Terry Crews of Brooklyn NineNine and America's Got Talent, Pitch Perfect's Ester Dean and La Reina
del Sur's Kate del Castillo.
Yaccarino also spoke on a CES panel with Jeff Green, CEO of The
Trade Desk about how they are optimizing connected TV revenues and
forging new advertising opportunities with its upcoming streaming

I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

3/13/20 11:32 AM

i3 - March/April 2020

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