audience activator press release

How is this different from simply retargeting someone on Google or Meta?

The key distinction: Last Mile Audiences extends the engagement signal beyond the originating platform, letting marketers activate those addressable audiences across additional channels within Nexstar's Audience Activator.

Why would I want to reach someone outside the platform where they clicked?

Because engagement doesn't necessarily mean the person is ready to convert immediately. Continuing the conversation across additional channels helps marketers stay connected throughout the consideration process.

What happens if someone doesn't convert after clicking?

That engagement can become an audience signal marketers use for additional activation, rather than treating the interaction as the end of the journey.

Do I need another audience platform?

Last Mile Audiences is built directly into Nexstar's Audience Activator and surfaced through the Audience Library and AI Media Agent.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON AAT CHANGE TO UAT

Changes to Amazon Ad Tags

Effective October 8th, our Amazon DSP partner will transition from the Amazon Ad Tag (AAT) to a Universal Ad Tag (UAT).

Unlike the Amazon Ad Tag, which can only be used for Amazon campaigns, the Universal Ad Tag provides a more flexible foundation for audience and conversion tracking across multiple advertising platforms. By collecting data once through the UAT, we can use those insights across a broader range of advertising solutions, creating more opportunities for audience targeting, measurement, optimization, and campaign management. The UAT also enables us to collect first-party data, build proprietary audience segments, and expand measurement capabilities, while reducing reliance on a single platform.

To support this transition, we have attached two implementation guides:

Universal Ad Tag Direct HTML Setup Guide: Instructions for installing the UAT directly in a website's HTML, including event tracking and consent management.
Universal Ad Tag Google Tag Manager Setup Guide: Instructions for deploying and managing the UAT through Google Tag Manager (GTM).

Live Campaigns with existing Amazon Ad Tag (AAT) can continue to run as usual. When campaigns are up for renewal, campaigns are asked to switch from the AAT to the Universal Ad Tag (UAT). Live Campaigns with active YouTube campaigns will proactively be reached out to from IQx team on instructions for swapping out AAT to the UAT. Universal Ad Tag will automatically be available and be replacing the AAT for new proposals, new campaigns bookings (not booked yet), and campaign renewals. Reporting will not change for standard campaigns, however, campaigns inclusive of YTTV, once the UAT is applied, will start to see conversion data in the dashboard.

Updated materials will be available in Nexstar ADvantage prior to the October 8 go-live date.

Further questions can be directed to the support alias. support@campaign-console.com

UAT Setup Guide Here

IMPORTANT NOTE ON RESERVE REPORT AND BILLING RECAP

From Carol Rees - 9/22/26

Per GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) we should Deliver in the month we bill and Bill in the month we deliver. Since our DMS partners are not integrated with WideOrbit, we cannot bill on actual delivery. With that, we suggest flat monthly billing, including prorating for campaigns that do not start at the first of the month or do not end on the last day of the month. Once the variance between what is billed in WideOrbit to what ran via our partner EOM reports hits a certain threshold, it hits the Reserve report. When that happens, the variance gets booked to a reserve account, not a revenue account.

Reserve Report

Hits the Reserve report if there is a $15k market variance between WideOrbit Billing and Actual Revenue
Once a market has a reserve, finance continues to review regardless of the totals to ensure original campaigns identified have delivered in full.
As delivery starts to catch up with billing, dollars come off the reserve report and move to revenue.
Agency accounts (if commissionable) can initially be included on the reserve report as most partners report NET revenue; reserve report pulls in Gross. Once identified and confirmed that the variance is agency commission, they come off the reserve report and dollars go to revenue.

What steps can you take to minimize accounts ending up on the reserve report?

Bill only in months the campaign will be delivering.
- For example: $6,000 campaign runs 10/15 – 12/15, it should be billed:
  - October $1,500
  - November $3,000
  - December $1,500
If the campaign starts after the first of the month or ends prior to the end of a month in a multi-month flight, do not bill a full month, please prorate. You can prorate based on weeks or more accurately based on # of days it runs in the month.
- For example: $10,000 campaign 9/23-12/31 (100-day campaign = $100/day) Prorate September and then bill October – December evenly
  - September $800 (8 days @ $100/day)
  - October – December ($10,000-$800 = $9,200 over 3 months)
    - October $3,066
    - November $3,067
    - December $3,067
If campaigns are delayed for any reason (no creative, missing assets, no access to an account, etc.) you can and should revise WideOrbit billing to match the revised flight dates.
Clear any outstanding credits.

Your RBMs are a great resource for the Reserve reports.

Welcome to the Sams Club

A place where you can get first looks at the latest tools, new ideas and go a bit deeper to help your markets level up with digital sales!

Positive Influence

Things don't always go smoothly with digital tactics & campaigns. We must stay positive and keep the team focused on solutions to problems instead of the problems. This will help for future campaigns instead of having them never want to try it again with clients.

A Student of the Game

Things move fast with all things digital. New tactics, new vendors, platforms, reports, etc. It's up to us to be the students that jump in right away to learn everything we can, to build trust with our teams internally and with clients externally. This includes new concepts and ideas we may see outside of the company. Even if we don't sell it, you should be aware of where things are moving.

Teach with Patience

Not everyone on your team understands how fast digital is moving. They also may struggle with things you consider "simple", but we must remain patient and continue to try and teach them from where they are. Everyone can be elevated at different levels and it's your job to help that happen so that you don't lose anyone along the way.

Advice on new tools

Speed to Market and Training

Over the last month we've rolled out some new tools for you and your teams. Some have more urgency to get to market than others. My goal is to build a process that allows you some flexibility to know when and where to introduce to your sales teams. For example, the ability to pull CTV avails in Platform X is really cool, but could be a distraction from using IQX for sales teams that are still struggling when to use which tool.

I understand how some groups struggle to adopt new things and there are times that it needs to be timed right to stay focused on the current strategy. My expectation is that you take in the information from us (corporate) and can make a wise plan with your sales leadership team on when to introduce it to the AE's to mitigate any unwanted disruption/confusion or slow down in activity. YOU should know how your team operates and when shiny new things are not as helpful as they could be, including new tools that may have some bugs. On the flip side, adjusting and getting speed to market on tools that reinforce our innovation, delivering something unique to clients that they don't see in other places is a benefit. We will discuss further in our next SAM call how to best discern between waiting and jumping in quickly.

ACR Report

This is one of those cool reports that could set you up for some headaches by introducing to everyone without understanding all of the features and benefits. Sometimes when we roll something out too quickly, we miss a key feature that causes confusion and then you are left trying to convince your teams to use it after they have shut down due to it not functioning the way they thought, or worse, telling a client it does something it doesn't actually do. This is a very cool report for some clients that need to see how linear and OTT work together to reach their audience. The universe on this report, may be one of those things that could cause confusion if not understood up front. When understood, it can be managed much better than setting the wrong expectations. Please do your homework before discussing with the team, and I'd suggest guiding specific clients to use it instead of everyone...remember it is also a $3 CPM upcharge.

New Capabilities alert

New Audience Activator Process

Great changes are happening with our ability to sell Audience Activator faster and more effectively to clients. We will talk more about it on our SAM call, but for now here's the sneak peak at the link below. In addition, our Strategist assigned to the region is Tyree Hicks-Perkins who is fantastic. Questions on a deal before we have our call, please reach out to me for clarification.

Audience Activator Resource Page

New Audience Activator Process

Audience Activator Resource Page

New Capabilities alert

ACR Overlap Report

We’re excited to introduce ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) Reporting, a powerful way to show advertisers exactly how their campaigns are performing across linear and OTT/CTV.

ACR Reporting uses smart TV data to identify what content households are watching, whether live, streamed, or on-demand, and determines which ads they’ve been exposed to. This gives a clearer and more accurate view of real audience behavior and campaign impact. ACR Reporting allows us to tell a stronger data-backed story about how multi-platform strategies drive results.

This exciting reporting will:

Show true reach and frequency across both Linear and OTT/CTV.
Identify audience overlap vs. incremental reach between platforms.
Provide a more complete view of how campaigns work together, not in silos.
Give advertisers confidence in cross-screen investment decisions.

What you need to know:

ACR can be added to OTT campaigns through the Platform X proposal builder.
Clients must be running OTT/CTV through Platform X and any linear broadcast which includes broadcast (through Nexstar or another broadcaster) or cable TV .
To add, check the checkbox in the Details button of the proposal budget page.
Reporting is delivered monthly, with additional reports available upon request. Reporting is not currently available in the Platform X dashboard.
Outputs include key metrics like unique reach, impressions, frequency, and overlap insights across platforms.
Additional conversion data is available using a standard tracking pixel generated from the Platform X IO.
There is a $3 CPM premium applied to campaigns using ACR Reporting.
A one-sheet and reporting overview document are included at the end of this message.

Advertisers should position ACR as proof. It helps move beyond “we think this works” to “here’s exactly how your campaign performed and where your audience comes from.”. It’s especially effective when selling combined linear and OTT/CTV strategies, reinforcing the value of reaching audiences both broadly and incrementally.

If sellers have questions about ACR Reporting or want help incorporating ACR Reporting into their sales approach, reach out to Platform X CSM at support@nexstardigitalservices.com.

***Please note, ACR Reporting is NOT being rolled out in the following markets and will not appear in the Platform X platform. The volume in these markets does not support an accurate result.

KREX, KSAN, KTAB, WBOY, WDHN, WETM, WFXV, WIVT, KSVI, WJTV, WWTI, WNTZ

Link to PPT of Capabilities

Streaming Football

Real Talk

We now have the hottest ticket in the advertising world with guaranteed in-game football avails for NCAA and NFL. Things are moving fast and some markets are working hard to get packages out before the competition. Yes, you may run into competitors that have the same or similar offerings. Most we may be priced better, but some we may not. Steer clear of transactional buyers if you can and sell to direct clients that have a passion for football.

The impressions pulled are per client and for the season. You don't have to sell all of them to a client, and in some markets and cases, you could divide those impressions up between several clients. Just know, the available impressions may be taken by another source until you lock them in with a sold package. Work with your sales leaders to help them package the impressions in the best way to get it sold quickly. We are learning with this first season and will know much more next year how we can manage those available impressions, narrowing to game and conference packs, etc.

Link to Local X Platform

NBC STATIONS - NFL STREAMING INFO

If you missed the NBC call or can't remember some of the details, deadlines or where materials are, use this link to the NBC dropbox with everything needed.

Link to NBC SPORTS DETAIL

World Cup Reporting Example

Austin graciously shared an example of a FIFA report that they had some AI help to reformat for aesthetics, but you can see what detail was provided.

Link to Full Report

Amazon Event Tag - A MUST DO!

Using GTM to Setup 1 Tag With Multiple Events

That's right, up to 10 events with one tag! This is how you unlock the metrics and conversions that matter. Instead of the default vanity metrics that make for hard conversations during reporting time, let's push to get these on ALL of our campaigns. It takes 10 minutes to setup and you can get conversions on everything from click to call to chat bots and more. I'm seeing too many IQX campaigns that don't have any tags setup and that is a shame given the tools we have. Once you do, you'll unlock so many more visual discussion points for your reporting calls.

Click on the "Ad Tag Placement Guide" to download a copy of step by step instructions.

Healthcare Advertising Challenges

Managing Traffic with HIPAA

Healthcare organizations often see more irregular traffic patterns in Google Analytics than other industries. In most cases, this isn’t a sign that something is wrong with the campaigns. It’s usually the result of a few structural things that are more common in healthcare — stronger privacy protections, automated compliance reviews from ad platforms, and a higher volume of bots and crawlers interacting with medical content.

Below are a few of the most common factors that can affect what you’re seeing in analytics.

1. Privacy and HIPAA-Related Data Protections Can Alter Analytics Signals

Healthcare organizations increasingly use privacy middleware and server-side tracking solutions to reduce the risk of sharing Protected Health Information (PHI) with analytics platforms.

These tools are designed to protect patient privacy, but they can also change how traffic appears inside analytics platforms.

In practice, these systems may:

Mask or remove IP addresses
Route traffic through secure proxy servers
Send analytics events from server locations rather than the user’s true location
Delay or replay tracking events

How this can appear in analytics:

Traffic showing up from unexpected geographic locations
Sessions originating from cloud infrastructure rather than consumer internet providers
Duplicate or very short sessions

Sources

HHS guidance on tracking technologies and HIPAA:
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/hipaa-online-tracking/index.html

Freshpaint overview of HIPAA-compliant analytics infrastructure:
https://freshpaint.io/blog/hipaa-compliant-analytics

RudderStack guide to HIPAA-safe analytics architecture:
https://www.rudderstack.com/blog/hipaa-compliant-customer-data-pipelines/

2. Advertising Platforms Regularly Scan Healthcare Landing Pages

Advertising platforms routinely run automated policy reviews and compliance scans, especially in regulated industries like healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and medical services.

These automated crawlers check landing pages for policy compliance and can sometimes trigger page loads that appear in analytics reports.

Common characteristics include:

Sessions originating from cloud hosting regions (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure)
Very short sessions with little or no engagement
Periodic spikes when ads are reviewed or re-crawled

Sources

Google Ads landing page policy review process:
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2404190

Meta advertising review and policy enforcement:
https://www.facebook.com/business/help/968402779873601

3. Healthcare Content Is Crawled More Aggressively

Medical and healthcare content tends to attract more automated crawling and scraping than most other categories online.

This traffic can come from:

Search engines indexing health content
AI training datasets collecting public medical information
Competitive intelligence tools
SEO and auditing platforms

Because healthcare information is high-value and highly searched, these crawlers can generate more bot traffic than typical local business websites.

Sources

Imperva Bad Bot Report (global bot traffic trends):
https://www.imperva.com/resources/resource-library/reports/2024-bad-bot-report/

Cloudflare overview of bot traffic on the internet:
https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/bots/what-is-bot-traffic/

Use of Online Tracking Technologies by HIPAA

https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/hipaa-online-tracking/index.html

It is also worth noting that this pattern can be somewhat more visible when traffic originates from programmatic display (banner) or Connected TV (CTV) campaigns.

Programmatic advertising environments rely on a number of automated systems that routinely review ad creatives and associated landing pages. These systems can include brand safety scanners, ad verification platforms, fraud detection tools, and exchange-level policy crawlers. In regulated categories such as healthcare, these reviews may occur more frequently to ensure that ads and landing pages comply with platform policies and industry standards. In some cases, these automated systems will load the landing page to confirm that the destination content matches the ad creative and is functioning properly. When this occurs, the page load can appear in analytics even though no consumer actually visited the site.

Similarly, Connected TV advertising often relies on server-side ad insertion and delivery infrastructure operated by streaming platforms and ad exchanges. Because these ad calls and measurement signals are frequently routed through centralized server environments, the geographic information associated with a visit may sometimes reflect the location of the platform’s server infrastructure rather than the viewer’s household device.

As a result, it is not unusual for display or CTV campaigns—particularly in regulated industries—to generate some short sessions, cloud-hosted traffic signatures, or geographic anomalies in analytics data, even when campaign performance and consumer engagement are functioning normally.

Sources

IAB Tech Lab overview of ad verification and programmatic quality controls:

https://iabtechlab.com/standards/ad-fraud/

Interactive Advertising Bureau guide to Connected TV measurement and infrastructure:

https://www.iab.com/insights/guide-to-ctv-measurement/

Google Ads landing page and ad review process:

https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2404190

Ad Fraud Disclosures

Ad Fraud Disclosures Last updated: July 27, 2020 Over the years we have seen multiple and diverse types of ad fraud attacks, all of which negatively impact the digital advertising industry overall....

iabtechlab.com