Universal Ads Bridges Digital-TV Divide with New Data Partnerships

NEW YORK, NY – July 30, 2026 – Universal Ads, the Comcast-owned advertising platform, has launched a significant expansion of its Business Partners Program, a move set to further blur the lines between digital and television advertising. The company announced the integration of two new partner categories, Audience and Mobile Measurement, bringing some of the most trusted names in digital marketing directly into the premium TV ecosystem.

Inaugural Audience partners include data and marketing automation leaders Klaviyo, LiveRamp, and TransUnion. Simultaneously, Universal Ads is integrating with top Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) such as Adjust, AppsFlyer, Branch, Kochava, and Singular. This strategic initiative is designed to equip performance marketers with the familiar tools and workflows they rely on for digital channels, making it simpler than ever to use television as a measurable growth engine.

For years, the gap between the data-rich, agile world of digital advertising and the broad-reach environment of television has been a major hurdle for brands. Universal Ads aims to close that gap, allowing advertisers to bring the first- and third-party customer segments and mobile attribution models they already use on search and social media directly to the biggest screen in the home.

The Convergence of TV and Digital

This announcement arrives at a pivotal moment for the advertising industry. Audiences have migrated en masse to streaming services, and ad dollars are following. According to industry forecasts, Connected TV (CTV) ad spend is on a trajectory to surpass linear TV by 2027, with digital video growing nearly 80% faster than the media industry average. This shift has fundamentally changed advertiser expectations.

“Brands are no longer satisfied with buying broad demographic segments on TV,” noted one senior media buyer at a major agency. “They demand the same level of precision, accountability, and performance measurement they get from their digital campaigns. Historically, that’s been television’s Achilles’ heel.”

Universal Ads' expansion directly addresses this demand. By integrating with leading data and measurement platforms, the company is effectively digitalizing the TV ad buying process. Performance marketers, who live and breathe metrics like customer acquisition cost and return on ad spend, can now apply their data-driven strategies to premium TV inventory from publishers like NBCUniversal, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Roku. The goal is to transform TV from a top-of-funnel-only channel into a full-funnel performance driver.

“The goal all along has been for Universal Ads to make TV advertising feel as easy and familiar as social or search, and that has to include the Audience Management, Mobile Measurement Partners, and optimization signals brands already know, manage, and rely on every day,” said Greg Lieber, Head of Platform Partnerships at Universal Ads.

A Strategic Play in the Ad Tech Arena

This move is not just a product update; it’s a calculated strategic play by Universal Ads and its parent, Comcast. The platform is built on the robust foundation of FreeWheel, Comcast Advertising's ad tech arm, which has been working to make television inventory more programmatic and biddable. This integration represents the next logical step in that mission: layering sophisticated data and measurement capabilities on top of that modernized infrastructure.

By targeting performance marketers and small-to-mid-sized businesses (SMBs)—segments that have traditionally been priced out or intimidated by TV—Universal Ads is aiming to capture ad spend that would otherwise go to digital giants like Google and Meta. The platform’s self-serve model, accessible budget entry points, and now, familiar digital toolsets, are designed to dismantle the historical barriers to television advertising.

Industry analysts see this as part of Comcast’s broader effort to future-proof its advertising revenue streams. “Comcast is building a comprehensive ecosystem that spans content, distribution, and technology,” an ad tech analyst commented. “Universal Ads is the tip of the spear in attracting a new class of advertisers to their premium video inventory. By making TV work like digital, they’re not just defending their turf; they’re going on the offensive to claim a larger share of the total advertising pie.” The company's recent appointment of a Head of Global Expansion further signals its ambition to compete on a worldwide stage.

Unlocking Precision on the Biggest Screen

The power of these new partnerships lies in the specific capabilities they bring. The Audience partners—Klaviyo, LiveRamp, and TransUnion—allow brands to move beyond generic targeting. Marketers can now activate their valuable first-party data, such as customer email lists or loyalty program members, to reach those same audiences on premium TV with privacy in mind.

“At Klaviyo, we believe customer-first growth starts with data — and that putting that data to work should be simple,” said Eddie O’Brien, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships & Alliances at Klaviyo. “Our partnership with Universal Ads gives the brands we serve a new way to extend the audiences they already know into premium TV.”

LiveRamp's involvement reinforces this capability. “Our work with Universal Ads makes it easier for brands to bring the audiences and workflows they already trust into premium TV, so they can seamlessly reach the right viewers with more consistency, efficiency, and scale,” added Adam Paul, Executive Director of Media and Sports Alliances at LiveRamp.

For the booming app economy, the integration of Mobile Measurement Partners is a game-changer. App-first businesses can now work with their preferred MMP to attribute app installs and post-install events, like a purchase or subscription, directly to a TV ad campaign. This provides clear, actionable data on whether TV advertising is effectively driving user acquisition and growth, often without requiring any additional software development kits (SDKs).

Early Wins and Advertiser Enthusiasm

While these new partnerships are just launching, Universal Ads has already demonstrated the power of making TV more accessible. James Borow, the platform's General Manager, previously noted that its first year saw e-commerce and social-first advertisers achieving “exceptional return on ad spend” on television.

A compelling case study, dubbed the "Pizza Test," involved local pizzerias using Universal Ads for hyper-local targeting during the Winter Olympics. The campaigns reportedly drove an average incremental sales lift of 3.2% during the broadcast and, more impressively, a 16.8% rise in sales in the weeks that followed, proving TV’s ability to generate both immediate action and long-term brand awareness for even the smallest of businesses.

With the addition of sophisticated audience and measurement tools, the platform is now poised to build on that early success. By bringing the full power of digital marketing to the premium TV landscape, Universal Ads is not just offering a new tool but is actively reshaping the future of how brands connect with consumers. As Lieber stated, marketers can now “extend what is already working for them in digital into premium TV and grow their businesses on the biggest screen in the house.”