Turner Seeks To Become One Big Native Ad Platform

Turner is looking to turn its TV networks into one big platform for native advertising. The cable programmer, whose channels include TBS, TNT, CNN and Cartoon Network, among others, is introducing a new native advertising unit at the Consumer Electronics Show with the goal of reimagining commercial breaks.

Turner will work with marketers to replace traditional commercials with pods that tell a brand story, said Dan Riess, head of content partnerships at Turner. "The idea is to turn Turner into a giant native ad platform," Riess said. Instead of five to ten 30-second spots during a program, for example, Turner will air long-form branded content that's two to three minutes long, he said. The company will produce content for marketers, as well as bring clients' existing long-form content, which is often digital-based, to TV. It will then utilize its targeting capabilities to find the right placement for the content across the entire portfolio. Intel will be one of the first brands to utilize Native Plus in 2016.