Seven’s New Fronts: Live Streaming, Programmatic And Molly Meldrum

Seven’s boss has said the network will further dominate TV in 2016 as it harnesses live TV on any device, brings every event from the 2016 Rio Olympics and even a new drama about the life of Ian “Molly” Meldrum, partnerships with social media platforms and “embraces” disruption.

Network Seven has announced it will live stream all its channels across mobile devices from Melbourne Cup Day, incorporating a further push into the programmatic market.

At the network’s presentation this morning, the New Fronts, CEO Tim Worner acknowledged the fact customers have been moving away from just watching linear TV.

However, he added: “Wherever our viewers go, we will be waiting for them . . . we’re embracing disruption as an enabler.”

Worner, along with chief revenue officer Kurt Burnette, announced the Seven app Plus7 will live stream the network’s channels across all mobile devices.

“When Seven and Yahoo7 launch live-streaming, it will be the most powerful pre-roll in the country,” said Burnette.

“The reason we did that again,” he continued, “consumers told us that they want connection to premium content, anywhere, anytime.

“Marketers, they wanted those consumers engaged, they wanted them targeted and measured.

“And when Seven Live Streaming joins our content delivery ecosystem of broadcast, social and catch-up, we’re going to have it all.”

The live-streaming service will include the ads associated with the shows and a dominant pre-roll ad. Thanks to its programmatic capabilities, which pre-roll will depend on the individual watching.

Burnette was also rather excited to announce a new measurement system with audience measurement company OzTam, launching early November. It’s called Video Player Measurement.

“Meaning we’ll be able to do just that,” said Burnette. “Combine the numbers of TV viewing across TV, mobile, tablet and desktop to give a true, multiscreen view of what is happening across every single device.

“TV, the most powerful marketing weapon in the country, just moved out of home and went mobile.”

And in an effort to push more into the programmatic market, Adam Elliot, network director of sales, told the room full of media people they are launching 7Screens, a trading arrangement that means advertisers will be able to trade on customers, not just demographic.

Showcasing to the audience the various devices the network can live-stream from, and the various different customers that may be watching, Elliot demonstrated how each customer would see a different ad dependent on their interests and likelihood to purchase the product being advertised.

Other notable developments at the New Fronts this morning was the launch of a heap of new shows, both drama and reality, as well as the coverage on the Rio Olympic and Paralympics games.

Unsurprisingly, one of the massive reality shows for Seven, My Kitchen Rules, is set to make another appearance, with the trailer this morning teasing a new female judge.

A documentary style drama show will put Molly Meldrum in the spotlight, alongside a new drama starring Jessica Mauboy, called The Secret Daughter.

In the reality TV space, a new show called Kiss Bang Love will see people kiss a heap of people in an effort to find love, and taking inspiration from a UK show, Seven will also launch The Day The Cash Came a show where ordinary families are given a heap of cash to see what they’d do with it.

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