Monday’s season premiere of the NBC reality singing competition “The Voice” will include a bonus interview with last season’s winner. During “Blindspot,” the hit hourlong drama about a mysterious tattooed woman, there will be interviews with the show’s creator and two of its stars. The “Today” show will feature an extended segment with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” will have an additional comedy sketch.
The extra programming will eat into time typically occupied by commercials. But those additional segments will actually be ads in their own right, brought to you byAmerican Express.
The move by NBC may be a bit of a gimmick — after all, the extra programming on leap day, Feb. 29, will add only 11 more minutes of content over all. But it could also provide a glimpse into the future of television advertising. Long dependent on conventional commercials, television networks are now re-evaluating their advertising strategies as fears about cord-cutting and steep ratings declines intensify.
“We see a great challenge but also a great opportunity to reinvent what the advertising experience can look like in different shows and in different environments,” said Alison Tarrant, executive vice president for client partnerships at NBCUniversal.