Comcast Media Center is offering a video-on-demand service incorporating "C3" metrics for time-shifted fare.
The cable giant's technical hub in Denver will work with AMC and two other unnamed cable networks on the C3 VOD service, which provides ratings that measure the average commercial minutes in programs that were viewed live and time-shifted through VOD or digital video recorded playback for the three days following their origination. C3 is the metric that has guided upfront deals for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 TV seasons.
The service will deploy CMC's ingest, encoding and transport capabilities to acquire linear TV programs during their original telecast, provide real-time encoding of the program, including the original advertising, and integrate the profiles for C3 commercial ratings provided by Nielsen. The VOD-encoded programs are then delivered to local cable systems for time-shifted viewing within hours of the original broadcast.
The CMC will also replace original advertising containing Nielsen profile data at the discretion of participating networks and their cable affiliates.
"Buyers and sellers of television advertising need clear information on how consumers watch time-shifted television," said Nielsen senior vice president Scott Brown in a statement. "Nielsen has measured VOD since 2006, and we're thrilled that Comcast Media Center has joined the effort to provide the media and advertising community with what it requires."
Elsewhere, CMC also announced that Comcast Spotlight, the operator's advertising arm, will proffer an of cross-platform marketing opportunities to programmers to promote their VOD fare, including banner ads on iGuide, the Comcast/Macrovision interactive program guide. The banner ads on iGuide provide immediate access to VOD programming by letting viewers "telescope" directly to VOD selections with a click of their remote controls.
Additional "tune-in" spots will also be available on linear channels touting the VOD fare.
