Comcast Cable Advertising said it is working with Charter’s Spectrum Reach unit and Viacom to create a new secure exchange for addressable advertising data.
Developed through Comcast’s Freewheel advanced advertising unit, Comcast said it’s moving onto the “next phase of Blockgraph,” with additional media companies and MVPDs set to be tied to the initiative “shortly.”
The cable operator describes Blockgraph as the “identity layer” for the TV industry, providing a platform on which media companies and publishers can offer marketers addressable data capabilities without disclosing identifiable user data to third parties.
Blockgraph, Comcast said, helps solve data usage challenges for all parties within the global TV advertising ecosystem, including media sellers, buyers and consumers. Blockgraph participant’s data stays in its own systems and the participant continues to protect the data and manage the privacy of its users, including respecting any user choices regarding the use of the data.
Comcast is currently working with its NBCUniversal unit to test Blockgraph and plans to incorporate it into its addressable offering in early 2019.
“Data is a valuable and sensitive asset for media companies and consumers so understandably, it must be protected,” said Jason Manningham, general manager of Blockgraph, in a statement. “At the same time, data is now the fuel powering media and advertising. The TV community needs to ensure that we can compete with the data capabilities of digital-first companies. We understand that providing a safe way to protect data while benefitting from collective insights is the path forward. And we believe Blockgraph offers that path.”
“It’s imperative that the use of data prioritizes the privacy of consumers’ personal information,” added David Kline, executive VP of Charter Communications and president of Spectrum Reach. “Blockgraph’s technology offers enhanced security and privacy protections by allowing all players within the TV ecosystem to directly share insights derived from anonymized and aggregated information. We support this initiative believing it will help set the standard for secure information sharing in the years to come.”
