• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGlobal 500

NBCUniversal Will Take Over Ad Sales for Apple News

By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 7, 2016, 1:36 PM ET
Courtesy of Apple

Apple is shifting the job of selling ads for its news service to NBCUniversal.

As part of the deal, NBUniversal will be the exclusive seller of ads across Apple News starting in 2017, though publishers can still sell ads alongside their own articles, according to media reports. NBUniversal will create a new ad sales team to handle sales for Apple (AAPL) News, said tech news site Recode.

The shift in Apple News’ ad sales, an app that supplies news from 4,000 publishers to nearly 70 million monthly readers on Apple devices, according to the Journal, highlights Apple’s lack of enthusiasm for the ad business. Earlier this year, it shut down its iAd network that sold ads on behalf of mobile app publishers after it failed to gain much traction. However, Apple will continue to sell ads for its App Store.

As before, publishers in Apple News will keep 70% of the ad revenue from ads that appear next to their articles. The remaining 30% will be split between Apple and NBCUniversal, although the exact breakdown between the two companies is unclear. Publishers will still be able to sell ads that appear next to their own content that they publish on Apple News, and keep 100% of the revenue from those ads.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

There are also some limits to Apple’s deal with NBCUniversal. Although NBCUniversal is taking over the ad sales, it won’t get access to data about Apple users or individual publishers’ audience. Advertisers will be unable to pick the exact publishers they want to run ads on, only the categories such as news or sports, according to the Wall Street Journal. To run ads alongside a specific publisher, they must work directly with that outlet.

About the Author
By Kia Kokalitcheva
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Claude is telling users to go to sleep mid-session and nobody, including Anthropic, seems to fully understand why it keeps doing it
AITech
Claude is telling users to go to sleep mid-session and nobody, including Anthropic, seems to fully understand why it keeps doing it
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 14, 2026
5 hours ago
Peter Thiel, wearing a white shirt and in front of a red background, holds up a dollar bill.
EnergyData centers
Peter Thiel is leading investment in an ocean data center powered by waves—and the startup is reportedly worth $1 billion
By Sasha RogelbergMay 14, 2026
7 hours ago
data center
EconomyData centers
Meta’s $10 billion Louisiana data center is getting $3.3 billion in tax breaks—more than seven years of the state’s entire police budget
By Jake AngeloMay 14, 2026
9 hours ago
Cerebras Systems ad on a billboard.
AIChips
Cerebras CEO says AI chip demand is ‘not speculative’ as shares double in blockbuster IPO debut
By Beatrice Nolan and Sharon GoldmanMay 14, 2026
9 hours ago
The AI boom sidelined sustainability. Two researchers want to change that
NewslettersEye on AI
The AI boom sidelined sustainability. Two researchers want to change that
By Sharon GoldmanMay 14, 2026
9 hours ago
Jon Gray, Blackstone
SuccessCareers
Blackstone COO Jon Gray predicts ‘huge boom’ in blue-collar jobs—his own data center company is hiring 30,000 new roles
By Preston ForeMay 14, 2026
11 hours ago

Most Popular

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
Success
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
By Preston ForeMay 13, 2026
1 day ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
2 days ago
Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
Travel & Leisure
Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
By Catherina GioinoMay 12, 2026
2 days ago
The airplane fuel shortage is a myth propagated by airlines who want to cancel unprofitable flights, says private jet CEO
Energy
The airplane fuel shortage is a myth propagated by airlines who want to cancel unprofitable flights, says private jet CEO
By Jim EdwardsMay 14, 2026
19 hours ago
Steve Jobs had a 'beer test' he used for interviews at Apple—if he didn’t want to drink with you, you didn’t get the job
Success
Steve Jobs had a 'beer test' he used for interviews at Apple—if he didn’t want to drink with you, you didn’t get the job
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 14, 2026
19 hours ago
I spent 8 years building Google Sheets. Now I think apps are on their way out
Commentary
I spent 8 years building Google Sheets. Now I think apps are on their way out
By Zach LloydMay 13, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.