NBCU launches online ad network for O&Os

NBCU has built an online advertising sales network, in another strike against third-party ad sales. The Universal Audience Platform (UAP) group will sell display ads on NBCU’s 10 owned and operated station sites as well as NBC.com and other sites on its network. Mediaweek reports that NBCU “will ‘sharply curtail’ selling its inventory via third party ad networks… following the lead of several top publishers such as ESPN.com.