NBC unveils new online advertising platform, pools ad inventory from its 21 websites

NBC unveils combined online advertising platform

NEW YORK — NBC Universal on Monday unveiled an advertising network that pools together ad inventory for all of its 21 websites. The move means advertisers now can buy ads to target certain audiences, instead of by website.

NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co., said its Universal Audience Platform will compile display ad inventory for its sites which collectively reach nearly 60 million individual users each month.

Audience profiles include demographic information, location and behavior patterns. NBC Universal may supply additional internal data about the audience.

The platform will start with inventory from at least 20 of its sites, including NBC.com, USANetwork.com, Telemundo.com, BravoTV.com, NBCSports.com and others.

In a joint venture with GE, Comcast Corp. is buying a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal for $13.75 billion in cash and assets.

Shares of GE, based in Fairfield, Conn., rose 43 cents to close at $16.14. Comcast shares rose by 7 cents to $19.39.