NBC Universal, AP in Archival Deal

BURBANK, October 25: Through a deal with the Associated Press, NBC Universal has tapped AP Images as the exclusive third-party distribution outlet in the U.S. and Mexico—and a non-exclusive outlet throughout much of the world—for its archival television photos.

Under the deal, images from NBCU’s online archive, NBC Universal Photo Bank, located at www.nbcuphotobank.com, are now available through AP Images’ licensing website at www.APimages.com.

In July 2006, NBCU became the first major television or film studio to manage and market its own photo licensing and distribution with the creation of a new in-house business unit and online photo archive, NBC Universal Photo Bank, directed by Kevin Fitzgerald, the VP of digital media distribution. The digital media distribution group actively develops, digitizes, manages, distributes, licenses and markets NBC Universal’s photo archive—which includes tens of millions of images, dating back to the 1920s up to and including current images from the Today Show and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

“Associated Press is the premier news syndication outlet, which makes it the ideal partner to distribute NBC Universal television photo content,” said Ray Slay, the senior VP of NBC Universal photography and new media. “Now, clients and photo buyers will have the option of accessing NBC Universal’s photo assets through AP Images’ extensive photo licensing site in addition to NBC Universal Photo Bank.”

—By Irene Lew