NBCU names Roku exec president of advertising and partnerships

Alison Levin has been named NBCUniversal president of advertising and partnerships, the media company announced today. Check out the latest media news here Levin joins from Roku, where she worked for eight years, most recently as the global head of media revenue. Levin will join NBCU in December and oversee national, local, SMB Growth, Peacock, sports and Olympic and Paralympic Sales, as well as NBCU’s “new audience-focused sales strategy,” per a statement from the company. She will report directly to Chairman of Global Advertising and Partnerships Mark Marshall. Media measurement blog Tracking TV, social and digital updates Click here Alongside Levin’s hire, Marshall has promoted Karen Kovacs to president of client partnerships. Kovacs previously served as executive VP of client partnerships. Kovacs will oversee client new client relationships and also report to Marshall, who continues to solidify his leadership after being named chairman of global advertising and partnerships in August in the wake of Linda Yaccarino leaving for X (formerly Twitter). As part of the changes, Kelly Abcarian, executive VP of measurement and impact, was laid off, per a source familiar with the situation. Abcarian, one of Ad Age’s 2023 Leading Women honorees, has been particularly prominent in industry discussions on changes in TV measurement. An active participant in the Joint Industry Committee and a vocal proponent of investing in non-Nielsen currencies, Abcarian has been a regular fixture of industry events. Abcarian, a former Nielsen executive, has been one of the most vocal critics of the leading industry measurement provider. She launched an NBCU Measurement Framework that included vetting more than 150 measurement providers and helped set up a Currency Council that includes marketers and agency executives. NBCU Chief Data Officer John Lee will add oversight of measurement and research with Abcarian leaving. “Today’s news was a surprise to me as I thought I would be with you on this journey together, but I know you all will be amazing and will continue on building together,” Abcarian wrote in an internal email obtained by Ad Age. “John is a great leader and I am confident you will keep the vision moving forward. We all know John and he believes in the numbers. And though he and I have different backgrounds, and he might not have the extensive measurement experience, take the time to partner with him and train him so he can become an advocate of your work—and he will help to carry forward our transformation. I am always a phone call away and will always cheer this Measurement & Impact team on.” In September, Krishan Bhatia, NBCUniversal’s president and chief business officer, global advertising and partnerships, announced he would also exit the company at the end of this year. The exec exits have been a buzzy topic in the industry. One TV ad sales executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said NBCU is a company to keep an eye on as it continues to lose executives known for innovation, particularly in the measurement space. Although Bhatia was seen as a champion of innovation for NBCU, his close ties to Yaccarino left him in a bad place politically inside the company once Yaccarino abruptly exited, according to one person familiar with the situation.

NBCU names Roku exec president of advertising and partnerships

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