Anton Fedorov, VP of Business Development at Ampersand, joins Aqua Talks at the Governor’s Conference for a data-forward look at how destinations should be thinking about television advertising. Ampersand — a nearly 40-year-old company owned by Comcast and Charter, known as NCC Media until 2019 — exists to make buying cable inventory simple, representing its owners’ footprint plus dozens of affiliates so agencies and clients can target audiences nationally, regionally, by DMA, or right down to the household. Anton’s core message: the conversation has shifted from markets, networks, and day parts to audience. With clean subscriber data, 95%+ match rates, and roughly 12,000 LiveRamp categories, Ampersand can identify who’s most likely to visit a destination and reach them at home with addressable TV — often letting DMOs spend less and accomplish more by looking beyond their historical drive markets.

The discussion covers why accountability matters so much in tourism (DMO budgets come from local taxes and grants, so attribution and economic impact are essential), how Ampersand hands exposure files to third parties like Arrivalists and Tourism Economics to “not grade its own homework,” and a careful take on AI and data privacy under the Cable Act. Anton closes with a standout case study: during Florida’s early post-COVID reopening, an Arrivalists study found 22% of arrivals in a record ~117–119 million visitor year were initially exposed to an Ampersand ad — his case for TV as the trusted, top-of-funnel platform that other channels can’t replace.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• 00:43 - Welcome Back — Governor's Conference 2026
• 04:24 - The Importance of Data in Tourism and Travel Marketing
• 06:52 - Defining Campaigns and Roles: Agencies, DMOs, and Ampersand
• 10:19 - TV and Streaming: How Technology Is Changing
• 13:59 - Entering the AI Era: Turning Data into Action
• 19:30 - Closing: Contact Info & Final Remarks

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Follow the audience, not the platform. Betting on a single platform means missing more than you reach; the smart move is finding where your audience actually is.
• From markets to households. Ampersand can target nationally, regionally, by DMA, or at the household level with addressable TV — often reaching high-potential visitors outside a DMO’s usual drive markets.
• Data is the engine. Clean subscriber data, 95%+ match rates, and ~12,000 LiveRamp categories let them pinpoint likely visitors and spend less to accomplish more.
• Accountability for tax-funded budgets. Because DMO money comes from taxes and grants, attribution and economic-impact measurement are central — handed to third parties like Arrivalists and Tourism Economics to stay objective.
• Set-top box reach still matters. Even amid streaming’s rise, a huge subscriber footprint consumes video via set-top boxes, and Ampersand inserts across both environments as owners shift to streaming.
• AI with guardrails. Eager to use AI for speed and efficiency, but careful with subscriber data and Cable Act / PII compliance.
• TV’s trust factor. The Visit Florida case study — 22% of arrivals in a record year first exposed to an Ampersand ad — makes his case for TV as the trusted top-of-funnel driver other channels can’t match.