Lopez special sparks unique ad deal

NBC is negotiating a pact with Omnicom Group for the ad firm to cover most of the cost of a fall music special starring Jennifer Lopez, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Along with assuming most of the production costs Omnicom is also lining up advertisers, alleviating the network of that risky burden. Both companies confirmed the negotiations but said the deal isn't done yet. But it sounds like a strategy NBC would like to turn into a trend. Jeff Gaspin, executive vice president in charge of specials and program strategy at NBC Entertainment, told the Journal, "As the marketplace changes, we look for ways to continue profitability."