Upfronts 2023: Rogers offers dynamic ads, ‘total TV’ and Disney+

Chief revenue officer Al Dark explains how the company is evolving an offering that strives for "unparalleled" reach across platforms.

Beyond its slate of new programming, Rogers Sports & Media feels like it has a lot to tout to advertisers.

One of the opportunities is a new partnership with Disney+ that will see Rogers representing its ad inventory in Canada (the streamer launched its ad-supported subscription tier in the U.S. late last year; an exact date for the Canadian launch has not yet been publicly announced).

As far as new ad solutions, top of the list is dynamic ad insertion being brought to all live programming on streaming platforms such as Citytv+ and Sportsnet Now, an option that can deliver different ads to different audiences on the same program. Rogers introduced DAI on a limited basis earlier this year on broadcasts of the Toronto Blue Jays and the NHL playoffs, and the company says Sportsnet Now has delivered over 500 million impressions on DAI content so far this year.

The completion of the Rogers-Shaw merger also means that data collected and made available through the Rogers Enabled Data platform is now on a national scale. The self-serve RSM Ad Manager recently launched on audio programs as well, mainly geared towards local marketers and SMBs. Through the platform, they will be able to reach the 16 million listeners of the company’s podcast network, as well as Rogers radio stations, which have collectively reached their highest market share in three years.

All of the above will be part of a “total TV” solution Rogers plans to release later this year, which will also feature measurement products from Canadian synthetic data company Arima and NBCUniversal’s CFlight. The solution will bring linear and streaming audiences together for cross-platform planning and reporting.

“What we feel we offer better than anyone else is unrivaled reach and influence across all platforms,” says Al Dark, chief revenue officer for Rogers Sports & Media, of what he calls the company’s omnichannel solution. “Whether you’re looking for linear TV, digital platforms, streaming services, out-of-home, audio – we’ve got it all. Whether you’re looking for one of those or a combination of those, we can come up with a campaign for advertisers that reaches audiences when and where they’re looking.”

For example, Dark says, if an advertiser wants to reach somebody in Toronto between the ages of 25 to 54 with high disposable income, “we look at our audience segments and our data, and we can say, ‘what you’re describing perfectly is the Toronto Maple Leafs fan.’ So, we can get your advertising within Sportsnet Now, delivered exclusively to that audience demo, in key areas of a Leafs game.”

Outside of the advanced targeting and measurement solutions, Rogers is also offering advertisers more creative solutions, such as on Canada’s Got Talent, where CIBC will be providing a $25,000 prize to all of the Golden Buzzer winners. Rogers came on board for the next season and is offering the winner one million dollars cash prize which is the largest payout and Canadian game show in history.

On the more linear front, Dark believes the best bet for brands looking to reach the standard 25 to 54 demo is Citytv, which “increased audience share more than any other conventional network in Canada last year. It grew 9% in prime time in terms of average audiences [according to Numeris data]. Citytv is on the rise. It’s got incredible original content, like Canada’s Got Talent, and we just announced yesterday that we greenlit Law and Order Toronto, which is a huge deal in Canada.”

His second suggestion is Sportsnet, the number one network in prime time. Audiences are up 23% year-over-year and is the number one network in primetime for women 25 to 54, which a lot of people wouldn’t realize, Dark says.

“With all of the NHL and Stanley Cup Finals and the Blue Jays, our live sports are still appointment viewing,” he adds.