Facebook Will Show The X Factor Preview Before The TV Viewing

Seven West Media and Facebook have confirmed a first for Australian audiences with the initial episode of this year’s new season of The X Factor available on Facebook from this Thursday. The first episode will be a targeted, limited release to Facebook users, available for a short window of time.

The X Factor’s new season commences this Sunday on Seven.

In an Australian first, Seven will publish an entire episode of a programme directly to Facebook.

Facebook is fast becoming the place where people discover video. Some 11 million Australians visit Facebook each day, 87 per cent of these via a mobile phone. The premiere episode will be shown on demand, on Facebook, optimized for delivery over mobile networks.

GlaxoSmithKline has secured a marketing partnership with their Panadol brand and Seven for this venture.

Today’s partnership with Facebook builds on Seven’s commitment to deliver its content to audiences anywhere, anytime on any device. In a landmark development, Seven will commence live-streaming of its three broadcast television channels – Seven, 7TWO and 7mate – across all delivery platforms and in all Seven-owned capital cities and regions from 1 December and 24/7. The launch of this new initiative builds on Seven’s market-leading AVOD service, PLUS7, which sits within Yahoo7. PLUS7 will now deliver Live and Catchup, complementing the company’s expanding presence in SVOD with its Presto partnership with Foxtel.

Clive Dickens, chief digital officer, Seven West Media, said: “Big, live event TV and social go hand in hand and we thrilled to work with our friends at GSK, Fremantle Media and Facebook on this true Australian media first. Television is rapidly evolving and at Seven we are accelerating our innovation to exceed the expectations of our audiences and partners.”

Jason Juma-Ross, Facebook’s Australian head of technology, communications and content said, “This partnership will allow people in Australia to watch the content they care most about, when they want to see it. 9.6 million people come to Facebook on a mobile phone every day and we’re delighted to be working with Seven and Fremantle Media to offer this first look opportunity to people who love the show.”

Commenting, Kurt Burnette, chief revenue officer, Seven West Media, said: “TV influences social conversation every week. This promote first on Facebook initiative will combine the scale of Seven’s audience and brand with the one-to-one connection that Facebook can bring. The two working together should help us better understand audience feedback for the benefit of advertisers and add to our overall audience sampling. Test and learn is an important part of our sales strategies.”

Created by media identity, Simon Cowell, The X Factor is one of the hottest television franchises around the globe. This year, the show welcomes two internationally acclaimed entertainers to the judging panel. British singing superstar James Blunt and American icon Chris Isaak join homegrown heroes Dannii Minogue and Guy Sebastian, who returns after a two-year break. The X Factor is unparalleled when it comes to producing superstars having launched the career of Dami Im, Samantha Jade, Nathaniel Willemse, Recce Mastin, Johnny Ruffo and Taylor Henderson.

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