NBC (NBC) is trying to figure out how to bring its audience back to television as people become increasingly interested in the ad-free experience.
The TV network has reportedly teamed up with American Express (AXP) to replace traditional advertisements for select shows on Feb. 29. According to AdAge, instead of commercials the network will air content sponsored by American Express similar to special features found on Blu Rays and DVDs.
The company’s logo will appear before and after the sponsored content, which will include interviews and additional scenes. The content replaces commercials during Late Night With Seth Meyers and the Today show as well as during the primetime returns of Blindspot and The Voice. BuzzFeed will also create “shareable content,” marking its first project with NBC since the network invested $200 million in the website last year.
Consumers, especially younger ones, have become less tolerant of commercials with the rise of ad-free platforms like Netflix (NFLX) and Hulu, so television networks have to find new ways to lure them back to the offline experience.