“Shows from The Walking Dead and Anne Rice universes evoke emotions and connections to our fandoms,” Granito said. “And we wanted to create an experience in the room that allowed our advertisers to get all of the feels that our fans feel.”
In addition to The Walking Dogs, AMC Networks’ content room’s upcoming slate includes a number of other opportunities for advertisers, with a new season of In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin; more Show Me More, which is a backstage pass to shows in AMC’s universes; and new offerings such as Vibe Check With Reginae, the content room’s social-first lifestyle series with host Reginae Carter.
The content room is also announcing “The Joy of Horror,” a new yearlong horror opportunity for advertisers, with Josh Ruben, an award-winning actor, horror writer, producer and director, serving as the company’s “Ambassador of Horror” as it creates content across its platforms and through its annual FearFest programming event.
“We are going to be working with [Josh Ruben] to create custom advertiser films that will live within these immersive horror environments that we have across the portfolio,” Granito said. “We’re pretty excited about that one.”
Plus, more ad tiers
Despite ongoing fragmentation in the TV industry and declining linear viewership, Evan Adlman, executive vice president of commercial sales and revenue operations at AMC Networks, told ADWEEK that the company’s combined endpoints have resulted in “the largest audiences we’ve ever had.”
“More than 50% of the viewership of our programming is consumed after that traditional C3 window,” Adlman said. “We still have large audiences that come to our linear networks, but they’re aggregating at all of our endpoints together.”
AMC Networks used its last upfront season to announce that AMC+ was getting an ad tier. Now, to give advertisers more reach of its audiences (as well as provide consumers with more options in an increasingly price-pinched landscape), the company is launching ad-supported versions of Shudder, Acorn TV, Hidive, AllBlk, Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited, with more information such as pricing forthcoming.
The company is also expanding its Audience+ targeting platform to give advertisers better precision and reach, allowing marketers to map to specific target audiences across its ad-supported distribution endpoints, including linear, streaming and CTV/FAST (connected TV/free ad-supported streaming TV).
Kelleher explained that the company’s strategy is about giving advertisers flexibility in everything from reaching audiences to transacting with the measurement and currency they choose, perhaps turning marketers into fans along the way.
“We have partnerships with all [measurement companies] and are very happy to meet you wherever you need to. We’re not forcing you to transact this way or that way,” Kelleher said. “Come however you want … we don’t care if you come through the front door or the chimney, just come in the house.”