BALTIMORE and IRVING, Texas—Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group are launching a consumer awareness campaign Sept. 17 to educate viewers in 13 markets about the benefits of NextGen TV.
The campaign will run in seven Nexstar markets—including Cleveland; Austin, Texas; Kansas City, Mo.; Tampa, Fla.; Portland, Ore.; Buffalo, N.Y.; and Denver—and in six Sinclair markets—Las Vegas; Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tenn.; Baltimore; Seattle; and Washington.
The campaign’s goal is to raise viewer awareness of NextGen TV. Available as a TV spot and a social media post, the promo asks: “On game days, who’s got next? With NextGen TV, you do.” The message informs viewers that NextGen TV delivers their favorite games in UHD and immersive sound, as well as their local news, weather and favorite shows.
The campaign builds on the consumer-education initiative Sinclair developed and tested in Columbus during the summer.
“Consumer education is an important part of accelerating adoption of NextGen TV,” said Del Parks, president of technology at Sinclair. “Our experience in Columbus demonstrated that when consumers understand what NextGen TV is, how to access it and the benefits it can deliver, we can meaningfully increase engagement. By partnering with Nexstar, we can take what we learned from that campaign and bring a consistent, consumer-friendly message to viewers across an even broader group of markets. Now is the time for all broadcasters to begin promoting the advantages of NextGen TV.”
The campaign also includes website GoNextGenTV.com, where consumers can learn what NextGen TV programming is available in their area using a search-by-ZIP code feature.
The site also explains the steps needed to set up a NextGen TV viewing experience, whether with an ATSC 3.0-compatible set or a converter box and existing TV. It offers an extensive list of consumer devices—including converter boxes, NextGen TV sets, antennas and cables—as well as a frequently asked questions section and a list of the standard’s benefits.
“The transition to NextGen TV has been a story of broadcasters working together to bring new capabilities to TV viewers. The cooperation and collaboration with Sinclair to educate those viewers is the next chapter in that story,” said Brett Jenkins, Nexstar’s executive vice president and chief technology and digital officer. “We’re confident that as consumers come to understand the advantages of NextGen TV, they will be eager to adopt it and will seek out TV models with ATSC 3.0 capability.”
