New Technology Could Lead to More Advertising Revenue for Comcast

New technology could help Comcast Corp CMCSA earn advertising revenue from streaming videos. The cable operator is testing technology that lets it insert up to date commercials into past episodes of programs that viewers watch through video on demand services, Reuters reported. Comcast is among the companies that have lost revenue because large numbers of people use video demand technology to watch their favorite shows at different times. Under the current business model advertisers only pay content providers for commercials watched within three days of the original broadcast date. The new technology would allow Comcast to place a brand new commercial into a six month old episode of a popular series that a person is watching through Comcast's video on Demand service. Reuters reported that Comcast and ratings company Nielsen Holdings NLSN developed the service. The new technology is being tested on broadcast shows on NBC which Comcast owns and ABC which is owned by the Walt Disney Company DIS. So far it is not being tested on any cable programs. CBS CBS is also interested in the service, Comcast senior vice president Matt Strauss told Reuters. Strauss believes that Comcast will be able to market the service to advertisers sometime next year. It isn't clear if the service will affect programs shown through other providers such as Netflix NFLX The news of the new technology didn't help Comcast. The cable operator's shares dropped by -.66% in mid trading on Dec. 2.