News Australia’s Lou Barrett has never been more confident about the company’s ability to deliver video audiences at scale.
With a sharpened focus on connected TV (CTV) and streaming, the Managing Director of Client Partnerships says News now has the network to create the most powerful unified buy in the country, with its All Screens for All Australians strategy.
All Screens is a bold move to consolidate its video offering across premium news video, short-form lifestyle content, sport, and now, streaming thanks to Tubi, the ad-supported video-on-demand platform that is a recent addition to the News Australia stable.
“The journey from a fast scroll in the morning to evening stream means we can be there at every moment,” Barrett tells Mediaweek. “It’s very powerful.”
Deliver to all Australians
For Barrett, this move is long overdue, and while Tubi is a crucial final piece of the puzzle, she’s quick to point out that the strategy goes far beyond just one platform.
“We have the audiences, the premium environment, and now, with Tubi, we have the scale,” says Barrett. “But our history and success in this space can’t be overlooked, and we can, and we do deliver to all Australians, wherever they are and however they consume video.”
“Our screen strategy is front and centre of everything we do and everything else is built around it.”
That’s backed by market momentum. According to IAB Australia, video advertising has continued to surge in Australia with 27.5% of all online advertising invested in video.
The All Screens proposition connects content from key mastheads and lifestyle sites like news.com.au, delicious., Kidspot, and Body+Soul, plus live sport, short-form social.
According to News there have been one billion views across the digital network over the last year and as Tubi’s ad-supported model includes over 125,000 titles spanning blockbusters, kids programming, and niche genres, it’s designed for mass reach and high engagement.
“Clients are excited about the CPMs, the transparency, and the creative opportunities,” says Barrett. “Across our ecosystem, from news to lifestyle to streaming, we are only reaching more and engaging with more.
“We know simply reaching audiences isn’t enough anymore, engagement is what drives ROI, not mindless scrolling. Our clients want this refined offering, that’s clear.”
Lou Barrett with the Tubi Rabbit at the launch of All Screens for All Australians.
For Barrett and her team, the focus now is embedding “All Screens for All Australians” into the planning mindset of media buyers. That means integrated trading, audience planning that goes beyond traditional platforms, and stronger cross-platform reporting.
Tubi’s offering is now powered by News’ Intent Connect, and that includes enhanced data as well as advanced addressable segments like interests, category intent and shoppers.
Not complacent
But Barrett isn’t complacent.
“Our sales team can’t sit back and wait. We need to be agitating for every dollar,” she says. “Because what we’re offering is one-stop shop here and we want clients to see a great return on their investments.”
Success over the next 12 months will be measured by commercial impact and she’s blunt on what matters most. “In a year I want to have made a lot more money for News obviously,” she says. “But I also want to make a lot more money for our clients too.”
As the video landscape continues to fragment and evolve, this proposition looks to be a timely response to shifting audience behaviour and advertiser expectations.
With Tubi now in the mix and a renewed emphasis on data, scale and engagement, it’s clear News is making a deliberate push into territory once dominated by broadcasters and global streamers.
“I’m incredibly excited about the future of video and how News is leading the charge in this video-first world and I’m even more excited to see what we can deliver for our clients,” says Barrett.