Thursday October 17, 2019

Nine Upfront: Nine on track for its best year – key demos #1

Nine is on track to enjoy its best ratings share performance in more than a decade.

That was the key headline from Nine as it outlined its 2020 programming schedule which, not surprisingly, is a lot like the 2019 schedule that delivered audiences.

Here are some of the key points from Nine’s Upfront programming presentation:

Key to the network’s success is a year-round schedule of premium content that delivers proven consistency of audience across all advertiser-preferred demographics.

It is this reliable slate of family-friendly programming that will see Nine crowned Australia’s No. 1 network for 2019 with the demographics most highly sought after.

• Nine’s commercial share of the coveted 25-54 demographic currently sits at 39.6% – a year-on-year increase of 3.7 share points and our highest share since 2003.”
• With People 16-39, Nine has snared a year-to-date commercial share of 38.8% – a year-on-year increase of 3.8 share points.
• And with Grocery Shopper + Child, Nine’s commercial share currently sits at 39.9% – a year-on-year increase of 2.8 share points.

Nine doesn’t talk about an all people win, but it is currently on track to possibly take that title away from Seven this year.

Married At First Sight

Australia’s No. 1 series, Married at First Sight, will return in 2020 for its seventh season, delivering another combination of love and fireworks.

Relationship experts John Aiken, Mel Schilling and neuropsychotherapist Trisha Stratford will pair 20 singles from across Australia, using a mix of neuroscience and psychology, with the goal of creating 10 perfect matches.

Married at First Sight is produced by Endemol Shine Australia for Nine.

Lego Masters

Lego Masters burst onto our screens in 2019 and quickly established itself as the breakout, smash-hit new program of the year. Unlike anything ever seen on Australian TV, LEGO Masters pits Australia’s best Lego builders against each other as they create mind- blowing models and masterpieces that must be seen to be believed.

The feelgood family-friendly format was a ratings phenomenon, with more than 2.3 million viewers tuning in for the final episode. LEGO Masters returns in 2020 with host Hamish Blake, resident judge Ryan “Brickman” McNaught, and eight new pairs of passionate creators duelling it out in extraordinary new challenges.

LEGO Masters is produced by Endemol Shine Australia for Nine.

The Voice

The Voice Australia is back in 2020 for its ninth series. And for the very first time, all four superstar coaches are back too. Kelly Rowland, Delta Goodrem, Guy Sebastian and Boy George return to the famous spinning red chairs to discover the next wave of Australia’s most talented artists.

A new batch of All Stars will return to take on the newbies in their quest to win $100,000 in prizemoney and a recording contract.

The Voice Australia is produced by ITV Studios for Nine.

Australian Ninja Warrior

Australian Ninja Warrior is returning to Melbourne for its fourth season.

In 2020 Nine is promising new obstacles and a new twist as competitors from all over Australia tackle the world’s toughest obstacle course.

The competition will be set on fire with Ninjas more desperate than ever to be furthest fastest and take home the prize of $100,000. But the greatest prize of all awaits. Make it up Mt Midoriyama and the prize jackpots to $300,000 and the title of Australia’s First Ninja Warrior

In 2020 there will be a special event series that pits the best of the best against each other in a knockout challenge. Rebecca Maddern, Ben Fordham and Freddie Flintoff will be there to take viewers through every second of the action.

Australian Ninja Warrior is produced by Endemol Shine Australia for Nine.

The Block

After 15 seasons, The Block moves to the affluent Melbourne bayside suburb of Brighton. The setting is a huge block of land just a hop, skip and a jump from the Golden Mile, a colloquial term given to the prestigious property strip running along the foreshore of Port Philip Bay.

Host Scott Cam will welcome a new batch of Blockheads as they get ready for the ultimate renovator’s delight.

Also returning are co-host Shelley Craft, judges Neale Whitaker, Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer, foreman Keith Schleiger and his right-hand man, Dan Reilly.

The Block is a Nine production in conjunction with Cavalier Television.

New on Nine for 2020

Halifax: Retribution

In 2020, Australian television legend Rebecca Gibney returns to Nine to reprise her role as forensic psychiatrist Jane Halifax in Halifax: Retribution.

Hollywood-based Anthony LaPaglia joins the cast to play the head of Task Force Stingray, Inspector Tom Saracen, in the crime thriller mini-series.

Jane Halifax (Rebecca Gibney) is a rock star in the field of forensic psychiatry, and after years on the police frontline she has carved out a new career as a university professor.

Original creator and writer Roger Simpson (Stingers, Satisfaction, Good Guys, Bad Guys) returns as writer and producer, alongside executive producer Mikael Borglund.

Halifax: Retribution is a Beyond Lonehand Production for Nine with major production investment from Screen Australia, in association with Film Victoria.

Informer 3838

Nine has announced a star-studded cast for Informer 3838, the new drama mini-series based on the events involving gangland lawyer turned police informer, Nicola Gobbo.

Ella Scott Lynch (Love Child, Doctor Doctor, Upright) will play the gangland lawyer known as Lawyer X, Nicola Gobbo.

The series will mark the return of some members of the Underbelly crew. Gyton Grantley (House Husbands, The Dressmaker, Balibo) will reprise his role as Carl Williams and Robert Mammone (Fat Tony & Co., Mystery Road, Water Diviner) will again play Tony Mokbel.

Rhys Muldoon (Les Norton, Rake, House Husbands) is police informant Terrence Hodson. Also starring in the mini-series are Stephen Peacocke (Five Bedrooms, Squinters 2, Home and Away), Richard Davies (Offspring, Tidelands, Oddball), Olympia Valance (Neighbours, Playing For Keeps), Jane Harber (Offspring, A Moody Christmas, INXS) and Hollie Andrew (Fat Tony & Co., Somersault, Supernova).

Informer 3838 is being produced by Screentime, makers of the hit Underbelly series, with assistance from Screen NSW. Filming commenced in Melbourne last week.

The Parent Jury

Brave mums and dads who believe their parenting style is the best will be put to the ultimate test in The Parent Jury.

In this controversial new series, opinionated mums and dads will take turns judging each other’s parenting styles. Helicopter parents, tiger parents, free-range parents, designer parents and strict authoritarians will all show how they bring up their families with a view to convincing the group that their way is best.

Step Back In Time

Step Back in Time, a variety show coming to Nine in 2020, will offer viewers a blast from the past through a familiar lens.

The show will celebrate key moments in pop culture from TV, movies, music, news, sport, advertising and technology, with each episode focusing on a particular era.

The program that all comes together in front of a live studio audience.

Emergency

Emergency is a new medical observational documentary series with unprecedented access to one of Australia’s busiest hospital emergency departments.

In the spirit of the best medical dramas, the doctors and nurses of the Royal Melbourne Hospital emergency department are the real stars.

The series reveals the extraordinary compassion and incredible skills of the doctors and nurses as they treat more than 250 patients who come through the doors of the emergency department every day.

Emergency tells the stories of the patients through the eyes of the doctors and nurses who are literally saving lives every day.

Emergency will be produced by WTFN, creators of Nine’s hit series, Paramedics.

Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo

Every year millions of visitors from around the world pass through Taronga Zoo’s gates to get a glimpse of some of the most amazing creatures on the planet. But what people don’t see is the incredible and groundbreaking work that goes on behind the animal exhibits – until now.

New to Nine in 2020 comes the exciting behind-the-scenes documentary series Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo. In this series viewers will get to see just what it takes to run one of the world’s most famous and magnificent zoos, with no area off limits.

Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo is produced by McAvoy Media for Nine.

Returning series to Nine in 2020

Doctor Doctor season four

Based on an original idea by Tony McNamara and Ian Collie, Doctor Doctor is produced by Easy Tiger Productions for Nine with the assistance of Create NSW.

Travel Guides

It’s the most epic season of Travel Guides yet as the holidaymakers hit Europe, the Middle East, USA, Africa, Asia and undiscovered corners of Australia.

Narrated by Aussie comedian Denise Scott, Travel Guides is produced by Nine.

Paramedics

Paramedics is a documentary series offering unprecedented insight into the daily lives of emergency service heroes.

Produced with the help of Ambulance Victoria, the series features unrivalled access to paramedics, with vision captured from up to 60 cameras rigged in ambulances, helicopters and on motorbikes.

RBT

Go behind the lines of the South Australian Police Force and their random breath testing operations for the very first time with all-new RBT.

Narrated by Andrew Daddo, RBT will again capture all the drama and danger that police face every day in their relentless campaign against drink and drug driving.

Nine Upfront: Superbrands grow audience across TV, digital and print

• Good Food & Domain on TV, CarAdvice & Drive multiplatform, Good Weekend, Sunday Life and Traveller on Today

Nine has outlined plans at its 2020 Upfront to use its key “superbrands” to build its reach and audience across the key verticals of property, auto, travel and food.

Nine will now look to supercharge brands like Domain, CarAdvice/Drive, Good Food, Traveller, and Good Weekend and Sunday Life, by expanding them into cross-platform franchises.

Lizzie Young

“Each of these superbrands is incredibly successful in publishing across our digital and print platforms,” said Lizzie Young, Nine managing director – commercial partnerships.

“We are supercharging them for their very engaged audience using our new data proposition and where relevant, giving them a home on television to create our very own stable of content superbrands with which advertisers can partner.

“Partnering with our superbrands provides advertisers with engagement through our content; scale through our media platforms, and precision through our data. This means these are the best solutions when it comes to either mass reach, precision targeting, or a combination of both. We have all options covered like no one else.”

Good Food

The Good Food brand is set to come to TV with the launch of a new Christmas special as the brand goes from strength to strength engaging food lovers all around Australia.

On Saturday, December 7 on Channel 9, the Good Food Christmas Special will show audiences how to make this the easiest Christmas ever.

The special will feature some of Australia’s top chefs, including author and TV presenter Adam Liaw, and will bring audiences the latest in food and drink trends for the festive season. The TV special comes after the recent launch of the new Good Food glossy monthly print magazine.

“Good Food is the most revered food brand in Australia, with an extremely loyal and engaged readership, and we are thrilled to expand it further across news and magazine print, digital, events, The Good Food Guide and cookbooks,” said Nine publishing director, food and travel, Trudi Jenkins.

“The magazine focuses on our key content pillars, with recipes from renowned chefs and food writers, restaurant reviews and food-focused travel features. Our editorial team is the most knowledgeable and independent in the country and will continue to share its unrivalled expertise on everything, from the latest places to eat and drink, to the food trends readers want to know about.”

Domain

Over 6 million people visit Domain each month for listings, market data, property news and the app is one of the most downloaded in Australia.

In September, Nine launched Your Domain, a one-hour TV program hosted by Shelley Craft and Chris Kohler that features a mix of property news and lifestyle content each Saturday.

The show has helped increase total referral traffic to domain.com.au by 8 per cent and reaches a cumulative audience since launch of more than 2 million Australians. Advertisers can use Your Domain to target consumers specifically, based on where they are in the property cycle, which can then be perfectly extended through to Domain’s various print and digital assets.

CarAdvice and Drive

With an existing audience of 1.7 million across digital, CarAdvice and Drive regularly appear on A Current Affair, Today and Weekend Today, as well as The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age with reviews, advice and news.

CarAdvice also has a dedicated radio show broadcast across Macquarie Media, with the team appearing nationally on Mondays with Steve Price and Thursday nights with John Stanley, and in Victoria on Thursdays with Denis Walter.

Good Weekend and Sunday Life

With more than 1 million readers every Saturday, Good Weekend reaches the widest group of educated Australians in the country with stories on the people, places and issues that matter to them – plus sections on cooking, eating out, travel, style and other things to do on the weekend.

Sunday Life is for the woman who knows who she is and what she wants, with the magazine delivering celebrity profiles and articles along with inspiration to cook, to shop, to decorate and to travel.

Traveller

Traveller inspires, entices and informs people who love to travel through its flagship section in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, as well as its online presence, podcasts and Traveller Tours.

Traveller also has a home on Today, partnering with the breakfast program on bespoke travel content.

Nine Upfront: How broadcaster will compete with digital giants

• Unified data, better video measurement and a massive TV deal

Nine combines data offering across its whole business

Nine has announced the unification of data assets across its whole enterprise including 9Now, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, Domain, Pedestrian Group and CarAdvice, to create what it is calling the most powerful data ecosystem of any Australian media company.

The move sees Nine create Australia’s largest addressable marketplace, with more than 11 million IDs, aimed at providing marketers with the ability to target specific audiences at scale within a premium brand-safe environment, powered by the Adobe Audience Manager Platform.

“At Nine we have been on a journey to build the most powerful data asset of any Australian media company,” said Michael Stephenson, Nine’s Chief Sales Officer.

“In bringing together this collection of assets, we are giving the market a powerful data offering that will drive results for our clients.

“This move gives marketers the ability to target Nine’s audience segments across the most diverse range of digital media assets in Australia, and reach audiences via short-form video, long-form video and display.”

As part of this announcement Nine has rebuilt 9Tribes, its leading customer segmentation offering, which allows advertisers to target 54 unique audiences across all of Nine’s verticals and properties.

Nine has added five new verticals consisting of food, travel, automotive, luxury and property to its existing verticals of news, sport, entertainment and lifestyle.

“9Tribes has been an important part of our data offering for a number of years and we are excited to see it extending across all media assets, with clear verticals that will help marketers reach the scale of our audiences,” Stephenson said.

Nine recently deployed a new data partnership with Quantium, providing marketers with access to grocery segments across 9Now, and all of its digital media properties. This data partnership complements its existing partnerships with Equifax Marketing Services and Red Planet, which have now been rolled across the metropolitan publishing mastheads.

Nine powered ramps up advertising effectiveness with total video measurement

Nine has used Upfront 2020 to unveil its new advertising effectiveness offering, designed to ensure marketers can demonstrate a return on investment from marketing across their total video spend on the Nine ecosystem.

The new offering, which has been built out as part of the client solutions division Nine Powered, offers marketers a number of key products including the benefits of econometric modelling; real-time measurement of audience response through partnerships with leading media analytics firms Adgile Media and TVSquared; and brand health studies to track the impact of advertising on key brand perceptions.

“At Nine Powered we aim to be the home of Big Ideas that drive real results for the brands we work with,” said Liana Dubois, Nine’s director of Powered. “Over the past 12 months we have built out an effectiveness product which is unrivalled by our commercial TV counterparts and which highlights why both television and content integration is unmatched in building brands and driving long-term sustainable business growth.”

Online video: Nine moves to cost per completed view

Nine has used its 2020 Upfront to announce that it will compete more aggressively in the billion-dollar Australian online video market introducing cost per completed view on its short form and long form video products.

“From today, we will offer to price and trade all our BVOD and short form video based on a cost per completed view. You will only pay for views that have a 100 percent completion

rate,” said Michael Stephenson.

“A movement to a cost per completed view metric will create a level playing field and allow marketers to compare the real cost of advertising on Nine, Facebook and YouTube.

“Why is this so important? Advertising that is being seen for one second or sometimes not at all is not as valuable as advertising that is full screen has a 100 percent completion rate and is seen 100 percent of the time.”

Stephenson urged marketers and agencies to question the metrics of how they judge the effectiveness of their video advertising.

“It’s a complex and difficult landscape to navigate with each platform having vastly different metrics for what constitutes an ad being seeing, but at Nine advertisers who buy on a cost per completed view basis will only pay for ads that are viewed to completion”

Nine’s move to counter advertisers tempted by Olympic deals

Nine has launched its Australia 2020 initiative, which will give four brand partners the opportunity to own all of Nine’s biggest events on television next year.

The initiative will give the four brands involved in Australia 2020 the opportunity to own every magical moment of the Australian Open, Married at First Sight, The Voice, Australian Ninja Warrior, Lego Masters, State of Origin, the ICC Twenty20 World Cup, The Block and Love Island Australia.

Australia 2020 is about giving four partners the ability to own every major format, every week of the year, on every screen, every event live in prime time and every event in the perfect time zone,” said Michael Stephenson.

“It simply doesn’t get any better. This is not 16 days of activity, this is 52 weeks of prime-time audiences and big ideas in all of Australia’s biggest shows, underpinned by a proven schedule that marketers and agencies know works.”

Nine also confirmed that for the period of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, it would make its primary channel prime-time inventory available in 9Galaxy, its market-leading automated buying technology. This move gives certainty to advertisers throughout the Olympics by guaranteeing the delivery of audience through Nine’s leading technology.

Stephenson also announced a new demand side platform to be built by Nine, Seven, 10, Foxtel and SBS for buying groups and independent agencies.

The technology will allow agencies to buy linear TV, live streaming and on demand TV, against audience segments and demo’s, measure cross platform reach and post analyse campaigns in real time.

Nine and BBC Studios agree to long-term Natural History partnership

BBC Studios and Nine have agreed on a long-term partnership for the BBC Planet franchise, which will see Nine premiere five super landmark series from the world-leading producers and distributors of Natural History programming.

Nine will now have the Australian premiere rights for the biggest Natural History series from BBC Studios over the coming years: five from the BBC Planet franchise and one other, still to be announced. 

 The first BBC Planet series is Seven Worlds, One Planet, revealed by Nine at its Upfront on Wednesday. Other titles announced as part of the BBC Planet franchise are: Perfect PlanetGreen PlanetFrozen Planet IIPlanet Earth III.

As well as the on air broadcast, the BBC Planet relationship covers integration opportunities online and off air, supporting the global TV event and the conversations generated around these pioneering flagship series.

Deb Tod, Head of Content Sales and Co-Productions for BBC Studios ANZ, said:  “Nine has been a wonderful supporter of our premium landmark programming over many years, and they are the perfect partner for a deeper, long- term relationship with the BBC Planet franchise.   

“We have seen the beauty and power of programs like Blue Planet II, which prompt global discussion and action.  We look forward to working with Nine to create unique event television that will bring people together in a shared experience.” 

“The BBC and Sir David Attenborough consistently deliver world-leading blue chip natural history,” said Nine’s Program Director, Hamish Turner.  “The power of the BBC Planet franchise is that it is cross generational in appeal. It also has the ability to challenge and impact the way audiences think about their planet.

“Nine are thrilled to have secured the exclusive premiere rights for a long-term commitment in Australia. This is an exciting opportunity to partner with the leaders of Natural History programming and distribution.”

kyle and jackie o Sydney Radio Ratings
ARN invests close to $80m to secure key radio talent until 2024

ARN has signed new contracts for three of its top breakfast shows – KIIS 1065’s The Kyle & Jackie O Show, WSFM’s Jonesy & Amanda in the Morning and Gold 104.3’s The Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show have been extended until 2022 and beyond.

The announcement follows ARN’s launch of its new positioning Defining Audio – through Australia’s most complete audio offering.

There is some sensitivity about the amount paid and the term of the contracts. However Mediaweek believes Kyle and Jackie O’s current contract, worth about $10m+ a year for the duo, runs until the end of 2021. The new deal should lock them in at KIIS for another three years meaning they will continue to report for duty at Macquarie Park until the end of 2024.

Their new deal is thought to be valued at about $60m.

Jonesy and Amanda’s current deal runs until the end of next year, meaning a new contract could see them locked in to possibly 2023.

Christian O’Connell bet his career on a move to Australia in mid-2018 and it has been a spectacular success with strong Melbourne breakfast ratings at what is now a #1 FM station.

The total value of the deal for HT&E’s radio division ARN could be as high as $80m+ for its key talent.

In locking away what are arguably the three best FM breakfast shows in Australia, ARN has just made the job of some content directors elsewhere that little bit harder by taking top talent off the market.

Of the re-signing, HT&E managing director and ARN CEO Ciaran Davis said in a statement: “We’re excited to be announcing today that Christian, Jonesy & Amanda and Kyle & Jackie O will continue to have their home here at ARN until at least 2022 and beyond.

“ARN continue to lead the market in delivering the most complete and comprehensive broadcast and on-demand all-in-one-place audio offering for our audience and clients.

“In defining audio, ARN is focused on delivering compelling content at a time when the importance of live and local content delivered by trusted on-air talent has never been greater. Our focus on the very best on-air talent is a key part of the strength of ARN’s offering across all channels and we’re committed to working together as we innovate our entertainment and business offering.”

ARN’s national content director Duncan Campbell said: “ARN have some of Australia’s favourite radio shows and we continue to invest in the best and most trusted talent to connect audiences with entertaining content and the best audio experiences available. Kyle, Jackie, Jonesy, Amanda, and Christian are some of Australia’s most loved radio personalities and I am proud to say they, along with the strength of our broader network talent, are a big part of ARN’s plans for the future.”

ARN’s Sydney breakfast shows have consistently dominated the Sydney market, holding the #1FM and #2FM Breakfast positions since ARN created KIIS 1065 in 2014.

Of staying with KIIS 1065, Kyle Sandilands said: “Obviously Jackie and I decided to re-sign with ARN, we launched KIIS 1065 so we really feel like it’s our station. Plus our show keeps getting better every year. It’s a great time for us and for radio in Sydney.”

Jackie ‘O’ Henderson added: “Kyle and I truly love our listeners, our incredible guests, and have so much fun working together. Not many people get to go to work each day to share stories, laugh with their best friend, and create entertainment that hopefully makes our listeners’ day that little bit lighter – that isn’t lost on me. We’re so grateful to be able to continue this journey with ARN.”

Equally happy to be extending her stay on WSFM, Amanda Keller said: “Over the past 14 years Jonesy and I have shared some of our most personal, funny and raw moments with our wonderful WSFM audience who are with us every day. There is nothing like the medium of radio and how its immediacy connects people – that’s why I love it and I’m delighted we’ll continue on air together.”

Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones added: “I’ve always said my job is not really like work because I have my friend Amanda right there with me – every laugh is real and every time I get on her nerves it’s genuine. I’m quite excited that she wants to keep putting up with my shenanigans.”

Of renewing his contract with GOLD 104.3’s Christian O’Connell said: “I came to Melbourne to try and build something new, and the way that this city has given me a chance as an outsider has been incredible. I’ve been humbled by the way they have given me not just their time in the morning but so regularly, their hearts.

“I’ve been doing breakfast radio for 21 years and the last 16 months have been the most intimidating, challenging but rewarding of my life. Melbourne is a place my family and I are proud to call home and that is all down to the awesome support our listeners have given me. It’s still very early days and I’m glad they are enjoying the ride because we’ve only just started.”

Omnicom & Foxtel Media to launch six-second ad format: Q Break

Foxtel Media has partnered with Omnicom Media Group for the launch of its new Q Break ad format, providing over seven clients from OMD, PHD and Hearts & Science exclusive access until the end of October, 2019.

The Q Break ad model is designed to enhance the viewer experience, while delivering increased impact for advertisers. The format is a 15-second advertising slot that consists of a three-second introduction, followed by two six-second ads, running at the start of a program. Q Breaks are among a range of new advertising innovations unveiled by Foxtel Media in September 2019.

The new format is rolling out across 17 Foxtel linear broadcast channels on Fox Network Australia, NBC Universal and BBC Worldwide. Omnicom Media Group agencies will be using the opportunity to trial six-second broadcast advertisements for a diverse range of clients.

Foxtel Media CEO Mark Frain said the partnership demonstrated the appetite for advertising innovation within the Australia market:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Omnicom to launch the new Q Break format across the Foxtel platform,” he said. “To have a single agency group buy out the full suite of a new product across our network from announcing the concept a matter of weeks ago is not only unprecedented – it’s also a huge endorsement of what we are setting out to do. The level of pro-activity from the Omnicom Group is great to see. We are committed to finding new and better ways for both viewers and advertisers within today’s attention economy – and this is the start of a significant body of work,” he said.

Omnicom CIO Kristiaan Kroon commented: “We know six-second placements work in a digital context and saw the importance for our clients to be involved with this market leading Foxtel opportunity. It will drive efficiencies for our clients, whilst providing insights into our planning and buying strategies across television and cross screen optimisation for OMD, PHD and Hearts & Science.”

As part of the launch, Foxtel Media are running research to determine customer engagement and receptiveness as well as the effectiveness and impact of the new format for advertisements,

Foxtel Media director of advanced advertising Nev Hasan added: “This is a major milestone for the new advertising approach we’re building here at Foxtel Media. We’re thrilled to have a range of leading brands feature in the launch of our Q Breaks, helping us create a win-win experience for consumers and advertisers alike. By enhancing the viewer experience we can simultaneously offer increased cut-through and recall.”

Alice Matthews
Former Triple J journo Alice Matthews dips her toes in a new medium 

Only a few short months ago, Alice Matthews was finishing her role as a reporter and newsreader at Triple J and made her move to The Feed at SBS to work alongside her new co-hosts Marc Fennell and Michael Hing.

By Claudia Siron

The Walkley Award-winning journalist is one of five new faces at The Feed and is thrilled to have experience in another medium. Matthews talked to Mediaweek about her transition from radio to television and the new-formed friendships at The Feed.

Matthews said it’s been really challenging switching mediums, but in the best way possible.“I realised after being in radio for five years that my mind has been geared to think in a certain way, and so breaking out of that and learning how to think quite visually has been totally new,” said Matthews. 

She laughed when she said how in radio news, she’s used to getting the point across in the first sentence, if not, the first three sentences. “Being able to kind of expand on topics and tell them in a long-form way has been quite new. There are just so many things that I’ve learnt coming into this job, even just something like going from daily turn-rounds or weekly turn-arounds; it’s a whole new shift in the way you manage your time and the way that you think.

“I find myself actually thinking about the content a lot more and a lot more outside of work than I did with something like radio news which you put away at the end of the day, so this is now taking some mind space up that I haven’t freed up before. It’s pushing me, it’s challenging me, It’s ultimately been an experience and I’ve been learning a lot,” explained Matthews.

Matthews revealed she’s been covering news and current affairs on The Feed. “Although, here I think that anything that you want to cover and have a great taste for, you can – It’s pretty great.”

When asked if she thinks she may have some big boots to fill with some of the show’s biggest names leaving – Jan Fran and Patrick Abboud – Matthews laughed expressing this was completely true.

“Oh my god, absolutely. Especially someone like Jan Fran who’s incredible; she’s made a brand and built a real following around quite a specific audience. You’re always introducing the new Jan Fran! It’s not a bad thing at all, but it just goes to show how much of a legacy they left behind. I mean, Pat invented the show! I wish that we could’ve crossed over; it would’ve been really nice to work together I think,” revealed Matthews.

With comedian Michael Hing as her co-host, it’s easy to imagine there would be more than a few laughs at The Feed when off-air; Matthews said her partner is a comedian/improviser so she’s no stranger to it at all. “It’s been really fun getting to work with everyone. It’s actually awesome because the relationship and the chemistry and how everything comes across on-air really depends on what you create together, so it’s been really nice in that sense,” revealed Matthews.

Alice Matthews and Marc Fennell

“Marc is such a pro, so he’s always ready to answer any questions and pass along advice – I kind of felt like he was a big brother because he was sort of showing me the ropes at SBS so that made it really easy hosting together.” 

Matthews explained to Mediaweek that moving from radio to TV is actually what really attracted her to the role.

“It wasn’t that I wanted to leave radio behind, I still love radio as a medium and I loved my job, but I knew how to do it. I knew how to do that job and I felt like I needed to step into something where I was learning something new and doing something I hadn’t done and figuring out what else I might be capable of in a different environment.

“The opportunity to do something like that at The Feed, where you’re in such a privileged position to be able to not just get something out quick and dirty in two minutes time as a news story, but can actually spend four or five minutes kind of guiding into something and having a team around you to support that is pretty amazing,” said Matthews. She explained further by saying she felt like there wasn’t any kind of media outlet doing quite what The Feed was doing and providing that opportunity. “I thought it would be really cool.”

Matthews revealed her favourite part in any journalism job is the part when she actually gets to be a journalist.

“To go out and talk to people and be presented with perspectives that I perhaps haven’t thought about or come across before, that’s the greatest. I think that’s always – no matter where I go – my favourite part of the job.”

The Feed airs every Thursday at 8.30pm on SBS VICELAND

Mamamia will be having more candid conversations that count in 2020

The Mamamia Upfronts were held on Tuesday at Sydney’s MCA in Circular Quay where Mamamia co-founder and chief creative officer Mia Freedman hosted and revealed that the next generation of Australian women are taking back control and prioritising self-love. 

By Claudia Siron

Research of 1,600 Australian Gen Zs & Ys commissioned by Mamamia has proven these generations are highly engaged with the brand’s voice. 

From Mamamia’s audience research, It’s been revealed that 79% of Gen Z & Y women still feel they don’t hear enough from all types of women, what they simply consider to be reality, rather than the over-used ‘diversity’. The Upfronts sang the message of how to connect authentically with a female audience and how they are effectively doing this through different mediums at a consistent rate. 

Mamamia editor Clare Stephens explained to Mediaweek how open conversations truly resonate with their audience. “In terms of where we’re going and what I’m doing as editor, we’re really focusing on that message of ‘candid conversations that count’, and that’s across every single vertical,” said Stephens. “It’s something that constantly resonates with our audience, whether it’s reality TV or politics; they want an honest conversation, they want us to speak in a way that doesn’t treat them like an idiot and instead meets them where they are. We always get the best feedback when we’re incredibly candid with our audience.”

Robert Farmer, the group director at Mamamia, said: “We’re the super channel for women because of our variety of touchpoints and passion points, and unique quality of engagement and influence throughout. It’s exciting to announce today further expansion across formats and content, presenting brands with even more opportunities.”

Stephens added to that by explaining how next year Mamamia will be taking their podcasts even further with the live shows. “We’ve had two years now of doing Mamamia Out Loud on the road, and in 2020 there’ll also be You Beauty and that’s going to be a whole day event. So we’re expanding the live event thing that we’ve been doing and making it even bigger and better,” said Stephens. The You Beauty event will be a fully immersive day across five cities with special guests, live podcasting and gift bags.

Mamamia reported its network listeners doubled year-on-year (September, Omny Studio), with over 40 million minutes of active listening each month. When looking at numbers, Farmer explained just how important it is to understand who is engaged and how this affects their partners.

Mamamia speaks to 2.2 million generation Z and Y women a month. The reason why we’re focusing on that and why that’s our theme is because there’s quite a lot of industry chatter at the moment about who’s really got what audience, and we want to be very clear. For our brand partners and potential partners that audience is important for their commercial success.”

“It’s actually far more relevant to talk to a target audience than a big rolled-up all-people number, which let’s be honest is generally a vanity metric.”

“Clients are interested in how well you can deliver their strategic audience for growth.”

With the younger Gen Z and Gen Y craving more raw and honest content, Stephens told Mediaweek that the ‘you do you’ message is going through every bit of content they have. “Whether it’s podcasts, video, written. It’s nothing new but we’ve kind of been able to crystallise exactly what Gen Z and Y want, and we’re the ones who are giving it to them.” 

Whether Mamamia is catering content for generations younger or older generations, the brand lives and breathes the ‘you do you’ message. 

Farmer said “It’s nice to be able to identify that code we’re developing with our audience, and as Jessie Stephens said it’s kind of no surprise that Mamamia gets so much traction with generations Z and Y, because that really has been there since day dot from Mia and the way she just authentically approached content. The medium has evolved but the tone and the content can just traverse whatever the media is.”

Sources: Independent Online Survey of 1,600 Gen Z and Y Australian women and men, September 2019; Google Analytics, IAS, Omny, Facebook Business Insights, September 2019.

Top photo:

The Mamamia Upfronts with (left) Rachel Corbett, Flex Mami, Jessie Stephens, Holly Wainwright, Mia Freedman and Kee Reece.

delicious. parties: New talent, new top 100, mouth-watering cakes

On the 18th anniversary of delicious. editor-in-chief Kerrie McCallum and her team have ended their busiest ever month in that 18 years. McCallum has been leading the multiplatform food brand owned by News Corp Australia for five years.

delicious. has just publish four massive guides to the top 100 restaurants in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia with the results being published in lift-outs in the News Corp Sunday newspapers in those states.

The magazine has now combined those four lists, and added the finest restaurants from the other Australia states, to come up with its first delicious. 100 book which comes as a bonus with the new November edition, which is now on sale.

“It was a very complex initiative because there are close to 700 restaurants we have had to visit and then we compile the lists across the various mastheads as well as the magazine, plus our digital and social platforms,” McCallum told Mediaweek.

“Four years ago when we first started the list it was a lift-out in just the Sunday Herald Sun and The Sunday Telegraph.”

The brand has locked in a subscription initiative with the list, letting subscribers vote for their favourite restaurants and the results will be published soon in the News Corp newspapers.

New signings to the delicious. contributor lineup are Yotam Ottolenghi and Rick Stein, and home grown talent including vegan chef Shannon Martinez, no-waste warriors Jo Barrett and Matt Stone, and cheese pioneer Will Studd’s children, Ellie and Sam Studd, writing a column about cheese.

They join delicious. food director Phoebe Wood and senior editor Matt Preston and the existing delicious. family of contributors which includes Matt Moran, Shannon Bennett, Silvia Colloca, Darren Robertson, Larissa Takchi, Monty Koludrovic, Mike Bennie, Anthony Puharich and Colin Fassnidge.

Stein has had a long association with the magazine, but it has now formalised the arrangement.

McCallum said it was good to be able to have better access to contributor Matt Preston now he doesn’t have a current TV commitment.

“Matt likes to remind me that he is not a contributor,” said McCallum. “He is our senior editor and I always have to get that right. He is so prolific. He has just submitted his column for delicious. on Sunday and it is three times as long as it should be. He always has suggestions about where we could put the extra copy online.

delicious. editor-in-chief Kerrie McCallum

“It is good when he is not filming as we get more access to him. But I’m sure he will be filming again very soon.”

In the November issue, delicious. is marking its anniversary by revisiting some of the most iconic recipes and contributors who have featured in the magazine over the last 18 years, revising their much loved dishes for 2019. This includes Bill Granger and his iconic hotcakes, which featured on the first delicious. cover.

Contributors to the special birthday feature in the issue include Colin Fassnidge, Anthony Puharich, Shannon Bennett, Kylie Kwong, Matt Moran, Monty Koludrovic, Danielle Alvarez and Ellie and Sam Studd, and they filmed a series of fun 18th birthday speeches which will be released across the delicious. social channels.

The cover features a mouth-watering Monte Carlo cookies and cream cake that looks just so perfect. There is no way they could have got it so good first try, Mediaweek asked McCallum. “No, it took multiple tries. It was made by Phoebe Wood our food director. We were thinking about fairy bread and wanted to do something sophisticated on that theme. She once did a sponge cake for us and it took 30 tries to get just right!”

Top Photo: delicious. birthday shoot [L-R]: Shannon Bennett, Colin Fassnidge, Monty Koludrovic, Kylie Kwong, Danielle Alvarez, Matt Moran, Sam Studd, Kerrie McCallum, Anthony Puharich and Ellie Studd.

TV Ratings Analysis: October 16

• The Block family reunion keeps the show and Nine #1
• Gruen best of the rest as Wil Anderson unboxed new episode

Wednesday Week 42 2019

By James Manning 

• Seven News 931,000/887,000
• Nine News 765,000/803,000
• A Current Affair 704,000
• ABC News 607,000
• 7.30 466,000
• The Project 294,000/487,000
• 10 News First 350,000
• The Drum 163,000
• SBS World News 137,000

Breakfast TV

• Sunrise 264,000
• Today 173,000

Seven

Home and Away did 627,000 on Monday but slipped to 570,000 Tuesday and 562,000 last night.

An hour of ob docs saw Motorbike Cops and Highway Patrol just under 450,000.

The season final of Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions did 329,000 as comedy dance duo Twist and Pulse won.

Nine

A Current Affair was again just over 700,000 for the second successive night.

The Block was close to 900,000, up on the audience of 853,000 a week ago. Matt Moran was a guest on the episode that featured a family reunion. The properties are open for inspection this week in Melbourne.

Love Island Australia was then on 312,000, up from 285,000 last week.

10

The Project did 487,000 with Sarah Kendall from the ABC’s Frayed stopping by.

The Bachelorette featured a random intruder with 667,000 watching after launching with 717,000 a week ago.

Season two of Playing For Keeps then launched with 297,000 after launching with 575,000 12 months ago.

ABC

Gruen was top five for the night with 728,000 after 715,000 last week. Host Wil Anderson had his own unboxing event in the promos for the episode.

Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery featured Magda Szubanski with 522,000 after it launched a week ago with 596,000.

The new comedy Frayed did 440,000.

SBS

Tony Robinson was walking Roman roads last night on Britain’s Ancient Tracks with 248,000 watching.

Episode two of Struggle Street then did 292,000 after launching on 259,000.

Week 42 TV: Wednesday
WEDNESDAY METRO
ABCSevenNine10SBS
ABC14.0%717.7%918.6%10 12.4%SBS One5.7%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY2.2%7TWO2.9%GO!3.3%10 Bold5.1%VICELAND0.8%
ABC ME0.7%7mate3.0%GEM2.9%10 Peach2.5%Food Net1.1%
ABC NEWS1.2%7flix2.1%9Life2.3%  NITV0.2%
  7Food0.5%    SBS World Movies0.8%
TOTAL18.0% 26.3% 27.1% 20.0% 8.6%

 

WEDNESDAY REGIONAL
ABCSeven AffiliatesNine Affiliates10 AffiliatesSBS
ABC12.2%718.5%913.7%WIN9.5%SBS One5.2%
ABC KIDS/ ABC COMEDY3.2%7TWO3.8%GO!3.9%WIN Bold5.7%VICELAND1.4%
ABC ME1.2%7mate3.7%GEM5.1%WIN Peach2.3%Food Net1.4%
ABC NEWS1.3%7flix (Excl. Tas/WA)2.1%9Life2.9%Sky News  on WIN1.9%NITV0.1%
  7food (QLD only)0.7%      
TOTAL17.9% 28.9% 25.7% 19.4% 8.1%

 

WEDNESDAY METRO ALL TV
FTASTV
86.2%13.8%
WEDNESDAY FTA
  1. Seven News Seven  931,000
  2. Seven News / Today Tonight Seven  887,000
  3. The Block  Nine 872,000
  4. Nine News 6:30 Nine 803,000
  5. Nine News Nine 765,000
  6. Gruen  ABC 728,000
  7. A Current Affair Nine 704,000
  8. The Bachelorette Australia   10 667,000
  9. ABC News  ABC 607,000
  10. Home And Away Seven  562,000
  11. The Chase Australia Seven  549,000
  12. Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery  ABC 522,000
  13. The Project 7 PM  10 487,000
  14. 7.30  ABC 466,000
  15. Hot Seat Nine 450,000
  16. Motorbike Cops Seven  441,000
  17. Frayed  ABC 440,000
  18. Highway Patrol Seven  423,000
  19. 10 News First  10 350,000
  20. Britain’s Got Talent – The Champions Seven  329,000
Demo Top 5

16-39 Top Five

  1. The Bachelorette Australia 10 246,000
  2. The Block Nine 183,000
  3. Gruen ABC 127,000
  4. The Project 7 PM 10 117,000
  5. Playing For Keeps 10 113,000

 

18-49 Top Five

  1. The Bachelorette Australia 10 381,000
  2. The Block Nine 367,000
  3. The Project 7 PM 10 218,000
  4. Gruen ABC 207,000
  5. Nine News 6:30 Nine 206,000

 

25-54 Top Five

  1. The Block Nine 423,000
  2. The Bachelorette Australia 10 396,000
  3. Nine News 6:30 Nine 254,000
  4. The Project 7 PM 10 244,000
  5. Gruen ABC 244,000
WEDNESDAY  Multichannel
  1. NCIS: Los Angeles (R) 10 Bold 172,000
  2. NCIS: Los Angeles Ep 2 (R) 10 Bold 161,000
  3. NCIS (R) 10 Bold 154,000
  4. Arrival 9GO! 120,000
  5. Play School Nursery Rhyme News Tim- ABCKIDS/COMEDY 117,000
  6. Peppa Pig  PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 111,000
  7. Thomas And Friends: Big World! Big Adventure ABCKIDS/COMEDY 109,000
  8. Waffle The Wonder Dog  PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 108,000
  9. The Numtums Shorts  PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 106,000
  10. Agatha Christie’s Marple 9Gem 105,000
  11. Octonauts  AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 104,000
  12. Bondi Rescue Ep 2 (R) 10 Bold 104,000
  13. Fireman Sam  PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 103,000
  14. Luo Bao Bei ABCKIDS/COMEDY 103,000
  15. Nella The Princess Knight PM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 101,000
  16. Bluey ABCKIDS/COMEDY 100,000
  17. Neighbours 10 Peach 99,000
  18. PJ Masks  AM ABCKIDS/COMEDY 99,000
  19. Spicks And Specks ABCKIDS/COMEDY 98,000
  20. Air Crash Investigation: Special Repor t 7TWO 97,000
WEDNESDAY STV
  1. Gogglebox Australia Lifestyle Channel 148,000
  2. Love It Or List It Australia Lifestyle Channel 122,000
  3. Find Me A Beach House Lifestyle Channel 58,000
  4. Paul Murray Live Sky News Live 56,000
  5. The Bolt Report Sky News Live 51,000
  6. Richo & Jones Sky News Live 51,000
  7.  PML Later Sky News Live 43,000
  8. Live: Afl: Trading Day FOX FOOTY 43,000
  9. Border Security: Australia’s Front Line FOX8 39,000
  10. Credlin Sky News Live 37,000
  11. Blue Bloods TVH!TS 34,000
  12. Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 34,000
  13. The Simpsons FOX8 32,000
  14. Deadliest Catch Discovery Channel 32,000
  15. The Simpsons FOX8 31,000
  16. Paw Patrol Nick Jr. 30,000
  17. Escape To The Country Lifestyle Channel 30,000
  18. The Simpsons FOX8 28,000
  19. The Simpsons FOX8 28,000
  20. Family Guy FOX8 27,000

Shares all people, 6pm-midnight, Overnight (Live and AsLive), Audience numbers FTA metro, Sub TV national
Source: OzTAM and Regional TAM 2018. The Data may not be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) without the prior written consent of OzTAM

Media News Roundup

Business of Media

Lachlan Murdoch on strategy, studio plans and Fox News infighting

Fox Corp executive chairman and CEO Lachlan Murdoch invited The Hollywood Reporter to his Fox office on the West LA lot to discuss his news and sports-heavy strategy and why Fox News talent can’t seem to get along. Here are some highlights:

Many of the top media companies are launching massive streaming services. What will direct-to-consumer mean for New Fox?

We have a very strong D-to-C strategy, but it’s not a platform SVOD strategy. Frankly, we don’t have the entertainment library to support that. But take Fox Sports and what we’re doing on our authenticated streaming apps, where on any given Sunday, we’ll have 135,000 people streaming the NFL through their app.

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has said he’s “embarrassed” to work for Fox. It has to be awkward when valuable creators disagree so strongly with the product at Fox News.

I don’t think it’s awkward at all, actually. We’ve never steered any creator to have a political bent or to influence what they put on our air.

But it’s gotten so nasty at Fox News.

Look, I think unfortunately in this country, there is less and less civil debate, and I think we’re all poorer for it.

In an environment where competitors have such scale, what is the growth strategy for a company like Fox? Is it acquisitions, or can you grow with what you have?

We absolutely can grow with what we have. Fundamentally, the traditional metrics of the business are all incredibly strong. Advertising is very strong. You have subscriber erosion in the satellite universe, but we are compensating for that with the rates. Our season premieres [on Fox] have been terrific, but the broadcast TV audience, it’s shrinking. And with further investment into SVOD, there’s going to be more and more choices. So for us, we focus on live sports, live news.

[Read the original]

ABC goes begging as it pays executives and directors $6.1m

ABC’s board and executives were paid almost 70 per cent more over the past year, at the same time as the public broadcaster was forced to cut resources to journalism and programming, reports The Australian’s Lilly Vitorovich.

As the ABC demands more money from the government, its annual report, released on Wednesday, revealed it paid its executives and board directors a total of $6.1m in the year to June 30, up from the $3.6m it paid the executive management team and board in the previous 12 months.

There were 17 people in the management and board band in 2018-19, compared with 15 people in the previous financial year.

Managing director David Anderson, who took over Michelle Guthrie’s responsibilities, received $1.14m in the 2019 financial year, more than double the $508,891 he received in the previous year. After more than seven months as acting managing director, he was formally appointed to the role on May 3.

The annual report also revealed that the vast majority of its near 3280 workforce is based in NSW. The ABC had 1696 staff in NSW, followed by 495 in Victoria and 333 in Queensland. It had 17 staff abroad.

[Read the original]

National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) appoints Liz Hughes CEO

NIDA has announced the appointment of Liz Hughes (pictured) to the role of CEO effective December 2019.

In recognition of the rapidly transforming performing arts sector, the board has selected a creative arts, and business qualified senior leader who brings experience across cultural programming, media industries, emerging technologies, and industry-linked creative education.

Liz Hughes

Liz Hughes comes to NIDA from the University of New South Wales as Director Creative Enterprise at UNSW Art and Design. Prior to that position Hughes worked with the Australian Film TV & Radio School (AFTRS) for nine years as Director Partnerships and Development and Director AFTRS Open. Hughes holds an Executive MBA and sits on the board of the Australian Network for Art and Technology.

The Chair of NIDA Noel Staunton said: “NIDA is one of our best export brands when you think of the impact and connections our alumni have gifted Australia. After seven years of leadership of NIDA Jenny Bott as chair and currently CEO leaves NIDA in mid-December in excellent shape and Liz Hughes will build on the contemporary and collaborative strength of NIDA.”

“I’m thrilled to lead NIDA and to build on its global reputation for educating generations of performers, creative leaders and storytellers. NIDA has been pivotal in creating and bringing to life our stories on stage, screens of all sizes and at live events. I’m honoured to have the opportunity to work with a talented team, the incredible alumni, an impressive Board, strategic partners and the next generation of creators exploring the gamut of the performing arts in all its guises,” Liz Hughes said.

Entertainment

Tones And I’s Dance Monkey the most streamed song in the world

Mornington busker Tones And I’s Dance Monkey has become the first Australian song to top streaming platform Spotify’s prestigious Global Chart, reports News Corp’s Cameron Adams.

Tones, aka Toni Watson, revealed the hit song cost just $800 to make.

It has now had over 350 million streams on Spotify and has spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on the ARIA chart, making it the longest-running Australian chart topper in history, beating a record held by Daddy Cool’s Eagle Rocksince 1971.

Dance Monkey is set to stay at No. 1 in the UK for a third week, despite a new release by Harry Styles, and has entered the US Top 100 at No. 96 and is No. 23 on the American Alternative Chart.

It has reached No. 1 in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, Scotland, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland.

[Read the original]

Television

Foxtel reveals Wentworth to wrap after next 20 episodes

Filming on Wentworth is due to resume shortly, in what will be the show’s final batch of episodes, but fans will still see the show on screen for some time to come, reports TV Tonight.

“There are 20 episodes spread over two seasons,” Foxtel executive director of TV Brian Walsh recently told TV Tonight.

“We’ve got some interesting names to announce who will be part of Wentworth‘s final two seasons.

“We’re really happy with the team we’ve assembled.”

That will take the series to 9 seasons expected to conclude on air in 2021.

[Read the original]

Sports Media

NRL grand final to stay in Sydney with SCG to host in 2020, 2021

The NRL concedes playing at the Sydney Cricket Ground “is not a great experience” but will stage consecutive grand finals there after securing a deal worth more than $15 million to keep the event in Sydney until the end of 2046, reports The Sydney Morning Herald’s Adrian Proszenko.

The NRL-NSW government agreement – more lucrative than the deals offered by the Queensland, Victorian and Perth governments – was officially signed off at midday on Wednesday after negotiations ramped up in recent days. The deal includes cash from the government and its agencies, including Destination NSW, and snuffs out Brisbane’s hope of pinching the showpiece event.

The grand final is now locked in at the SCG for the next two years while ANZ and Allianz Stadiums are unavailable due to upgrades. It will shift to Allianz in 2022 and then back to ANZ when it is back online in 2023.

Effectively, the game will remain in Sydney for the next 27 years given the 25-year memorandum of understanding initially struck between the parties won’t begin until Sydney’s new $2 billion stadium network nears completion.

[Read the original]

Former EPL boss Richard Scudamore signs on to help A-League

The man who helped turn the English Premier League into a worldwide commercial behemoth has officially joined the push to save the A-League.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Vince Rugari reveals Richard Scudamore, who headed up the Premier League for nearly two decades, has been installed as a “special advisor” to the A-League clubs and competition boss Greg O’Rourke.

Scudamore, 60, became chief executive of England’s top league in November 1999 and stepped down as executive chairman in November last year after overseeing a period of phenomenal growth. During his tenure, central revenues rose from £148 million in the 1997-98 season to £3.2 billion this season.

While his football business acumen is wide-ranging, Scudamore’s specific experience in negotiating increasingly lucrative television deals for the EPL can only be of benefit to the A-League as it confronts a rapidly changing broadcast landscape at a time when ratings on Fox Sports are nosediving and general interest is flagging.

[Read the original]

Seven’s Jockey Cam takes viewers closer to the action on track

Seven Horse Racing unveiled Live Jockey Cam on Caulfield Guineas Day, bringing fans closer to the action than ever before.

Live Jockey Cam was used in six races last Saturday and will be used on Saturday at Caulfield Cup Day and the following week at Cox Plate Day, with both feature meetings shown live and free across the screens of Seven.

This follows a long period of jockey cam development by Seven Racing, Telstra Broadcast Services, Chris Symons and the RVL stewards.

seven racing

Racing Victoria has been supportive of broadcast innovation and worked closely with Seven Racing throughout the approval process of Live Jockey Cam to ensure safety and integrity were maintained.

Seven also acknowledged the support of the jockeys who wore the camera on Saturday, including Ben Melham, Jamie Kah, Cory Parish, Michael Dee and the stables of Busuttin Racing, Brunton Racing and Nick Ryan Racing, while Craig Williams and Lindsay Park Racing have both been long-time supporters of jockey cam.

Managing director Seven Melbourne and head of network sport Lewis Martin commented:

“We’re always looking for new ways to take our viewers as close to the action as possible, so coming up with a jockey cam that could be used live during races was something we worked damn hard to add to our racing coverage.

“We’re rapt we can now effectively put our viewers in the jockey’s saddle during races, giving them a vantage point previously enjoyed only by racing’s best riders.”

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