Seven Network Upfronts 2021

[TV.Cynic]

SEVEN IN 2021 AND BEYOND

Proven power formats including The Voice, Big Brother, Farmer Wants A Wife, Australia’s Got Talent and Australian Idol to deliver even more 25-54s

Epic new family entertainment: Holey Moley with Aussie golfing legend Greg Norman and Ultimate Tag, the fastest show on TV

Hit franchises SAS Australia and The All New Monty return Premier sporting line-up: The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games,

The Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games, AFL, Supercars, Summer of Cricket and Horseracing

Gripping Aussie drama RFDS starring

Stephen Peacocke, Rob Collins, Emma Hamilton and Justine Clarke

7plus leads the year in BVOD investing more in content led growth and more 7plus exclusives

7mate is Australia’s No.1 multichannel for 16-39s and 25-54s, more local commissions

The Seven Network today announced proven power tentpole programs will continue to lead its successful content led growth strategy for 2021 and beyond, adjacent to its established entertainment and lifestyle programs and premier sport and news offering.

James Warburton, Seven West Media Managing Director and CEO confirmed Seven would be home to five of the biggest entertainment brands in the world from 2021, including The Voice, Big Brother, Farmer Wants A Wife, Australia’s Got Talent and from 2022, Australian Idol.

Collectively, the premium brands will continue to drive Seven’s audience growth and engagement strategy across its platforms.

“Our new content led strategy of outsourcing proven international formats has delivered this year with an incredible resurgence led by the phenomenal performance of Big Brother and Farmer Wants A Wife.

“Coupled with the return of a sensational AFL season, we’ve led every demographic since June. We’re in front in 25-54s and lead 16-39s by a massive 5.4 share points. That’s a solid transformation, despite the obvious challenges this year.”

Within half a point of winning the year, with some exciting programming still to come, including this weekend’s first ever night AFL Grand Final, Mr Warburton said the Network would deliver a disruptive schedule of fresh and engaging content, providing an unrivalled experience for its audience and partners.

“We have shown only glimpses of our best from this year and that’s got us to less than half a point from being the most watched Network in the country. With our multiple global tentpoles in play, our first-class Olympics coverage and winning news and sport schedules, get set to see what we’re really capable of.”

Seven today unveiled almost two years of programming, binding its exclusive tentpole, sport and news content.

New to Seven in 2021: one of Australia’s most successful and much-loved entertainment brands, The Voice; extreme mini golf program, Holey Moley, a US No. 1 hit two years in row; and Ultimate Tag , the world’s fastest show which takes the game of tag to a scale never seen before.

Returning hits include the world’s toughest test of celebrities, SAS Australia and feel good fan favourite, The All New Monty.

In 2021, Seven will continue to seat audiences front and centre for the biggest entertainment events including all the excitement and glamour of The 93rd Annual Academy Awards.

Seven’s continued commitment to its 7.30pm growth strategy will drive its dominance in news, sport, lifestyle and drama.

7NEWS remains Australia’s most watched and trusted television news service for five consecutive years, with more than 2.3 million Australians tuning in each weeknight LIVE at 6.00pm for the most comprehensive coverage of local and international news, sport and weather. The award-winning 7NEWS team is led by Mark Ferguson , Mel McLaughlin and David Brown in Sydney; Peter Mitchell, Tim Watson and Jane Bunn in Melbourne; Sharyn Ghidella , Max Futcher , Tony Auden and Shane Webke in Brisbane; Rod Young and Amanda Abate on the Gold Coast; Jane Doyle , Mark Soderstrom and Amelia Mulcahy in Adelaide; and Susannah Carr, Rick Ardon, Basil Zempilas and Samantha Jolly in Perth.

Sunrise is Australia’s number one breakfast program for the 17th consecutive year and returns in 2021 with co-hosts David Koch and Samantha Armytage , newsreader Natalie Barr , sports presenter Mark Beretta , features and entertainment reporter Edwina Bartholomew , and weatherman Sam Mac . More than 1.2 million Australians tune in to Sunrise each weekday for all the latest news, sport and weather.

Celebrating its 13th consecutive year of daytime domination, The Morning Show returns to Seven in 2021 with co-hosts Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur . The Morning Show remains Australia’s number one morning television program, reaching an average 1.484 million viewers nationally every week.

7NEWS will continue to take viewers well into the night in 2021 with The Latest From 7NEWS . The nightly LIVE news program, anchored by Michael Usher , covers the very latest breaking news as well as up-to-the-minute developments and analysis on the biggest news events of the day. The Latest has seen record growth in 2020 – average audience up over 60 per cent year-on-year, reaching 1.52 million viewers every week.

In just 18 months of operation, 7NEWS.com.au has stamped its position in the top three commercial news brands in the country and No. 1 news website for people under 30. Record month-on-month growth sees 7NEWS.com.au now visited by 1.3 million Australians a day – underscored by its focus to build connection, conversation and community. 7NEWS.com.au produces Australia’s No. 1 digital news program, The Latest on digital which has amassed 400 million views, with two new original shows already in production for 2021.

The recently-formed 7NEWS Spotlight division is set to deliver a series of investigative specials in prime-time for Seven in 2021, focusing on major breaking news events as well as long-form investigations of national significance. 7NEWS Spotlight has produced some of Seven’s highest rating program of 2020 including the breakthrough 7NEWS Spotlight - The Lindy Tapes, a documentary watched by 1.35 million Australians.

The Chase Australia is the No. 1 daily quiz program with audience growth year-on-year. Friday night favourite Better Homes and Gardens is Australia’s No. 1 lifestyle program.

Seven continues to be the home of high calibre drama, with the No. 1 award-winning Australian drama Home and Away ; hit US dramas The Good Doctor, The Rookie and 9-1-1 and season two of BAFTA award-winning UK drama Manhunt, starring Martin Clunes.

In 2021 the Network will launch RFDS, a gripping Australian drama starring Stephen Peacocke, Rob Collins, Emma Hamilton, Justine Clarke and Ash Ricardo, portraying the modern-day heroes of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Event drama, Australian Gangster, depicting Sydney’s decadently gorgeous but completely inane world of crime will also premiere.

New international dramas for 2021 include the true crime event series The Pembrokeshire Murders, detailing the cold-case pursuit of the most notorious serial killer in Welsh history. Award-winning actor David Tennant stars in Around the World in 80 Days, adapted from the beloved Jules Verne classic.

7mate is Australia’s is No.1 multichannel for 16-39s and 25-54s, delivering a winning mix of top international entertainment titles and a growing stable of homegrown content, including the cult hit Fat Pizza: Back in Business, returning for its second season in 2021.

7plus is the No. 1 commercial FTA BVOD service with a 42.4% market share (2020 Survey YTD). With hit shows, the biggest BVOD entertainment launch of all time (Big Brother 2020) and continued investment in more content led growth and more 7plus exclusives slated for 2021, it continues to be the ultimate streaming destination.

[TV.Cynic]

NEW for 2021

HOLEY MOLEY

It’s mini golf, but not as you know it! A US No.1 hit two years in a row, Holey Moley is extreme family fun. Teeing off in 2021, mini golf lovers from around Australia will compete head-to-head on an unparalleled, larger-than-life obstacle mini golf course (aka a mini golfer’s wonderland). They’ll face out- of-this-world make or break putts, insane physical challenges and unimaginable distractions while they attempt to complete the course to reach the daunting final hole. Aussie golfing legend Greg Norman will serve as the Resident Golf Pro of the epic Holey Moley course with American actor/comedian Rob Riggle ( Saturday Night Live, The Hangover, Step Brothers, The Other Guy) sharing commentating honours with 7NEWS sports anchor Matt Shirvington . In between ducking golf balls, host Sonia Kruger will attempt to keep everyone on course. Who will take home the $100,000, and the coveted Holey Moley plaid jacket?

HOLEY MOLEY is created and produced by Eureka Productions for the Seven Network.

THE VOICE

Megabrand The Voice is on Seven in 2021 and it’s going to have an entirely new sound. With a supercharged format hosted by Sonia Kruger , one of Australian television’s most successful and much- loved entertainment franchises will captivate fans new and old. Get set to meet superstar celebrity Coaches and the next generation of awe-inspiring singing talent about to take their first steps towards stardom. A global phenomenon, The Voice airs in 180 countries across every continent, including the nine seasons on Australian screens. Voice Australian Coach alumni includes Delta Goodrem, Keith Urban, Seal, The Madden Brothers, Ricky Martin, will.i.am, Kylie Minogue, Jessie J, Ronan Keating and Joe Jonas. Who will be in the red chairs when they spin around in 2021?

THE VOICE is produced by ITV Studios Australia for the Seven Network.

ULTIMATE TAG

The world’s fastest show is here and there’s only one rule: don’t get caught! Ultimate Tag takes the universally known game of tag and elevates it to a scale and skill level never seen before.This fresh and unmissable new series will have the nation cheering on as everyday Australians try to evade elite Pro Taggers in what can only be described as the fastest game on Earth. Ultimate Tag hosts, Seven sports reporter Abbey Gelmi and 7NEWS sports anchor Matt Shirvington with commentator Bill Woods will cover all the intense action as the Ultimate Tag Champions are decided. Who will take home the $100,000 prize money?

ULTIMATE TAG is an Endemol Shine Australia production for the Seven Network.

RFDS

Aussie drama hits a new high with RFDS. A gripping new Australian action-drama on a grand scale starring Logie Award-winning actor Stephen Peacocke ( Home and Away, Wanted), Logie Award- winning star of stage and screen Rob Collins (Mystery Road S2, Total Control) , and acclaimed actresses Emma Hamilton (Mr Selfridge, The Tudors), Justine Clarke ( Tangle, Rake, The Time Of Our Lives ) and Ash Ricardo ( Offspring, Bite Club ). Filmed on location in and around Broken Hill and based on remarkable real-life stories, RFDS portrays the modern-day heroes of the Royal Flying Doctor Service who navigate private lives as turbulent and profound as the heart stopping emergencies they attend.

RFDS is an Endemol Shine Banks production for the Seven Network. Major production investment from Seven Network in association with Screen Australia. Financed with support from Screen NSW through the Made in NSW Fund and the Regional Filming Fund.

AUSTRALIAN GANGSTER

Finally, the story can be told. Based on actual events Australian Gangster is a punchy, funny adrenaline-ride through Sydney’s decadently gorgeous but completely inane world of crime.

AUSTRALIAN GANGSTER is a Roadshow Rough Diamond production for the Seven Network.

HOMICIDE: WITH RON IDDLES

From the producers of Murder in the Outback , Working Class Boy and the award-winning Ron Iddles: The Good Cop comes a brand new series featuring one of Australia’s most celebrated detectives - Ron Iddles, a tough and unorthodox Victorian homicide detective who used his head and his heart to solve some of Australia’s biggest crime mysteries. Homicide: With Ron Iddles will see Ron dig through his extraordinary case files to explain how he solved the most fascinating and challenging murder cases during his 25-year career as a homicide detective.

HOMICIDE: WITH RON IDDLES is produced by CJZ for the Seven Network.

AUSTRALIA: NOW AND THEN

Was Australia any better in the 70s, 80s and 90s than it is today? What things from the past are we glad we’ll never have to witness or experience again? Well it all depends just who you ask, and which generation you belong to. Australia: Now and Then features the opinions of some of Australia’s most quotable celebrities, comedians, musicians, actors, characters and ratbags - across all generations. We want to know if Australia was cooler, better looking, more stylish, smarter, sportier, now or back then. Which generation’s fashion sense made us the most attractive? There’s a lot to learn, and a whole lot to laugh at. The generations have never been roasted quite like this!

AUSTRALIA: NOW AND THEN is produced by Blink TV for the Seven Network.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS

Multi award-winning actor David Tennant ( Broadchurch, Jessica Jones, Doctor Who ) stars in this highly anticipated adaptation of Jules Verne’s beloved classic, Around the World in 80 Days . Tennant plays explorer Phileas Fogg, who, following an outrageous bet, takes on a challenge to circumnavigate the globe in just 80 days. He’s joined on the journey by his valet, Passepartout, played by rising French star Ibrahim Koma and the aspiring journalist Abigail Fix, played by The Crown’s Leonie Benesch. This truly international drama is adapted by a team of renowned writers led by Ashley Pharoah ( Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes, The Living and the Dead ) and Caleb Ranson ( Child of Mine, Heartless ).

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS is a Slim Film + Television and Federation co-production.

THE PEMBROKESHIRE MURDERS

From the producers of the global hit The Bodyguard , true crime drama event series The Pembrokeshire Murders brings to life the extraordinary cold-case pursuit of the most notorious serial killer in Welsh history. Based on the book by Steve Wilkins and Jonathan Hill, this series reveals the gripping story of a ground-breaking case that set the standard for cold case murder investigations. Two unsolved double murders from the 1980s cast a long shadow over the Dyfed-Powys police force. In 2006, Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins ( Luke Evans ) decided to reopen both cases. The perpetrator of these crimes was nearing the end of his prison sentence. Could the detectives unearth enough evidence to charge their suspect before he was released – potentially to kill again?

THE PEMBROKESHIRE MURDERS is produced by ITV.

THE CLOWN AND THE CANDYMAN

Reinvestigating two of America’s most sinister killers - John Wayne Gacy, the Killer Clown, and Dean Corll, the Candyman - The Clown and the Candyman follows investigators today as they try to identify seven of their unidentified victims and wonder: could there be more victims? During the 1970s, thousands of teenage boys went missing across North America. Some returned home, others disappeared without a trace. And some were brutally murdered by two of the era’s most prolific serial killers, Gacy and Corll. More than 60 young men died by their hands. The four-part series reveals never- heard-before tapes of Gacy and uncovers a hidden web of paedophiles operating throughout America - many with money and influence. One of its masterminds, John Norman, lived his life in the shadows, but his organisation may have links to both the Clown and the Candyman.

THE CLOWN AND THE CANDYMAN is produced by Cineflix Productions.

HOW TO LOOK GOOD NAKED

How to Look Good Naked has one aim: to get body confidence soaring by showing real sized women in all their naked glory. The definitive guide to looking good with your clothes on or off, this is a show that loves natural women. From the slim to the curvy, grannies to teens, and all in between – without a surgical knife in sight! Hosted by Gok Wan - a fashion expert not afraid to tell a few home truths, it includes plenty of how best to dress advice. This is a truly uplifting series for women of every shape and size. Iconic moments punctuate each show, from the ‘reality check’ line-up to the big finish: a huge image of our once-shy contributor projected onto a building for the whole world to see!

HOW TO LOOK GOOD NAKED is produced by Banijay.

THE REAL MANHUNTER

Former Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton spent 30 years in the police force, a career that saw him lead many of the most high profile and successful murder investigations of his generation, and although he will forever be associated with the arrest and conviction of serial killer Levi Bellfield and ‘night stalker’ Delroy Grant, his career was so much more, as his conviction record shows. Of the 37 murder cases he investigated, he solved 35 with convictions. In this special event series, Sutton (recently portrayed by Martin Clunes in ITV’s hit drama Manhunt ) will revisit cases he led and explore everything from the crime itself through to the breakthrough moment when the suspect was identified and arrested. The Real Manhunter features contributions from fellow police officers and journalists who covered the cases and will offer a gripping insight into exactly what happens after the most violent of crimes has been committed.

THE REAL MANHUNTER is an Abacus Media Rights production.

[TV.Cynic]

PRIMETIME PILLARS

BIG BROTHER

A new Big Brother returned to our screens this year and Australian audiences couldn’t get enough with each episode averaging 1.34 million viewers (average incl. broadcast and 7plus). The master game player returns in 2021, welcoming a new group of Housemates who will live together for over two months, cut off from the outside world in a custom-built house fitted with cameras and microphones recording every inch of the house and their every move, 24 hours a day. Since farewelling this year’s house guests, Big Brother has been busy and has some surprises for next year’s Housemates. Expect epic challenges, twists and turns and a house full of secrets. Hosted by Sonia Kruger.

BIG BROTHER is produced by Endemol Shine Australia for the Seven Network.

FARMER WANTS A WIFE

Australians fell in love with Seven’s reimagining of Farmer Wants a Wife in 2020. Five farmers wearing their hearts on their sleeves and sharing their love for #farmlife reached six million Aussies nationally. The road to love on the upcoming season - hosted by Natalie Gruzlewski - will be even more romantic with dream overnight dates, luxury country getaways and spectacular group get togethers setting the stage for more life changing love stories. In 2021, five new hard- working Farmers - Sam, Andrew, Matt, Will and Rob – will be on the search for real love. With 99 marriages and 225 beautiful farmer babies worldwide, Farmer Wants A Wife is the most successful dating show on the planet. In Australia alone, the series has resulted in nine marriages and 20 babies.

FARMER WANTS A WIFE is a Fremantle and Eureka co-production for the Seven Network.

SAS AUSTRALIA

With its premiere episode recruiting 1.2 million viewers nationally, the No. 1 entertainment show for the night and No. 1 for 25-54s nationally, SAS Australia returns for its second season in 2021. This smash hit series sees celebrities take on one of the toughest challenges of their lives, as they attempt to conquer a series of physical and psychological tests set by an elite team of ex-Special Forces soldiers. These star recruits will be cut off from the outside world at a secret base in harsh but spectacular terrain, where they will eat, sleep and train together in punishing conditions, with no allowances made for their celebrity status, age or gender. As they’re subjected to extreme physical endurance, sleep deprivation, interrogation and psychological testing, these men and women will be pushed beyond their limits. Most recruits will reach breaking point and withdraw. Who has what it takes to tough it out to the end?

SAS AUSTRALIA is produced by Screentime, a Banijay Group company, based on a Minnow Films format, for the Seven Network.

AUSTRALIA’S GOT TALENT

Hosted by Ricki-Lee , Australia’s Got Talent is back bigger than ever before! In 2021, nothing’s going to stop us bringing you the world’s No. 1 entertainment format. Some of the best acts in the country will take on the greatest “Got Talent” champions from around the planet. This is a world-class entertainment event, with a healthy dose of those weird and surprising AGT moments we all love. Superstar judges. Incredible talent. With a national average audience reach of 8.6 million in 2019, get set for this global phenomenon in 2021!

AUSTRALIA’S GOT TALENT is a Fremantle production for the Seven Network.

THE ALL NEW MONTY

The All New Monty returns with more unforgettable, feel-good, smash hit specials, featuring some of Australia’s favourite celebrities who dare to bare all whilst kickstarting lifesaving conversations about men’s and women’s cancers and the importance of early detection. Over the past three years, nearly 40 Australian celebrities have stepped up to strip to raise awareness for breast, prostate and testicular cancer. The Real Full Monty, The All New Monty, The All New Monty: Ladies’ Night and The All New Monty: Guys & Gals were all ratings winners, with over four million people nationally tuning in to see the nervous novices perform an iconic striptease. Which famous Aussies will reveal all in 2021?

THE ALL NEW MONTY is a Seven Production.

HOME AND AWAY

It’s the No. 1 drama that’s embedded in Australia’s DNA and in 2021, award-winning Home and Away will explore stories of new beginnings, second chances, love, betrayal and revenge. A ghost from the past will threaten to derail one of the Bay’s favourite couples; a familiar face returns to right some wrongs; and when love becomes twisted and trust is misplaced, the community will be torn apart. Plus, a special wedding we’ve all been waiting for - all set against the beautiful backdrop of sunny Summer Bay.

HOME AND AWAY is a Seven Production.

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS

Delivering exciting and new content that audiences love, Better Homes and Gardens returns in 2021 with more tips and life hacks across technology, health, fitness and motoring, along with all the ideas and inspiration Aussies have come to expect from Johanna Griggs and the team from the country’s No. 1 lifestyle show.

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS is a Seven Production.

7NEWS SPOTLIGHT IVAN MILAT: BURIED SECRETS

In 2021, 7NEWS Spotlight presents Ivan Milat: Buried Secrets a ground-breaking true crime series revealing new evidence that Australia’s most notorious serial killer, Ivan Milat, was responsible for many other murders that have remained unsolved for decades. The country’s leading crime professionals, forensic anthropologist and criminologist Dr Xanthé Mallett and criminal psychologist Tim Watson- Munro, re-open the Milat file uncovering potential new victims and new crimes in this gripping series.

IVAN MILAT: BURIED SECRETS is produced by EQ Media, in association with Bannaby Productions for the Seven Network.

HIGHWAY PATROL

Australia’s blockbusting cop show Highway Patrol rides shotgun with Victorian police officers who strive to keep our roads safe. Join us for the crashes and smashes, the unrestrained and untrained, the over-extended and the up-ended! It’s always an interesting day riding along with the officers of the Victoria Police.

HIGHWAY PATROL is produced by Greenstone TV with the cooperation of Victoria Police.

BORDER SECURITY: AUSTRALIA’S FRONTLINE

Border Security is back with more action from the daily lives of the people who devote their working life to keeping Australia safe. The stars of Border Security remain the officers of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Quarantine and Inspection Service and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. While most of Border Security is filmed at Australia’s busy airports and features tourists and people seeking a new life in Australia, some remarkable stories are also coming out of international mail centres, in the field with immigration officials and on Customs vessels and aircraft in the waters of Northern Australia.

BORDER SECURITY: AUSTRALIA’S FRONTLINE is a Seven Production.

[TV.Cynic]

SPORT

Seven is the reigning home of sport in 2021, with the greatest events only on Seven. Spanning Seven’s broadcast channels, market leading BVOD platform 7plus and other digital properties including 7NEWS.com.au, Seven will bring audiences closer to the action than ever before.

Starting on the 23rd of July 2021, Tokyo 2020 will redefine how Australians watch sport. The 30 days of the rescheduled Olympic and Paralympic Games are forecast to reach over 21 million Australians, even more than Sydney 2000.

Seven’s broadcast coverage on Seven and 7TWO - led by Bruce McAvaney - will be simulcast in HD on 7plus. On top of this, six bonus curated 24/7 channels and 35 live streams on 7plus will allow Australians to experience the Olympics like never before. 7plus will also offer captioning in multiple languages - an Australian first.

Just seven months later, Seven will broadcast the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, starting on the 4th of February 2022. Seven will offer Australians a comprehensive, multi-platform experience for Beijing 2022, building on the unprecedented experience set to be delivered during Tokyo 2020.

Coming off one of the most remarkable seasons ever in 2020, 7AFL’s coverage of the 2021 AFL Premiership Season promises to be captivating viewing from the first bounce in March through to the final siren of the 2021 AFL Grand Final on the last Saturday in September.

7CRICKET returns in 2020-21 for its third summer of cricket, LIVE, FREE and in HD on Seven. It’s set to be a sizzling summer as India return to Australian shores to face a full-strength Australian Test team for the first time since 2014-15, with Steve Smith, David Warner and all of Australia’s superstars set to feature. The BBL and WBBL will deliver another great season of domestic cricket competition.

7RACING will again have Australia’s very best thoroughbred horse racing covered in 2021. From the Magic Millions Classic on the Gold Coast in January through to the iconic Spring Racing Carnival, Seven’s world-leading commentary team, led by Bruce McAvaney and Hamish McLachlan, will bring fans the most prestigious meetings throughout Australia right across the year.

Next year will also see the long-awaited return of Supercars to Seven. From 2021, Supercars will form a key part of Seven’s leading sports coverage into the future, with six Supercars races broadcast LIVE and FREE on Seven, including the iconic Bathurst 1000, plus the Bathurst 12 Hour race. Highlights from other races of the Supercars Championship will be replayed on Seven and 7plus the same day of the race delivering a comprehensive and unbeatable experience for fans, for free.

Seven’s sport coverage in 2021 goes beyond the end of play. Having established itself as Australia’s undisputed No. 1 footy show, The Front Bar , featuring Sam Pang , Mick Molloy and Andy Maher , returns bigger and funnier than ever to cover the 2021 AFL season. Armchair Experts , Seven’s innovate social sports show, continues in 2021 with its AFL and NFL editions.

[TV.Cynic]

Seven delivers the freshest content and innovation in 2021

Over 5,250 hours of the freshest content provides unprecedented amount of new and returning opportunities for brands 7RED delivers better results for partners Innovation to enhance better outcomes for partners Seven will be the home for growth in 2021

The Seven Network today explained at its 2021 Upfront presentation how the combination of its content offering along with new initiatives deliver enhanced results for their partners.

Kurt Burnette, Seven West Media Chief Revenue Officer, said: “ 2020 has been a year like no other. We’ve all faced challenges like never before, with our content for the year impacted and our partners forced to pivot strategies to capture the attention of audiences in different and agile ways.

“But these challenges have presented us with opportunities to innovate and grow together and deliver great outcomes for our partners. For 2021 and 2022 Seven has strategically created and will deliver the most disruptive content line-up in a decade. Offering brands across Seven, 7plus and 7NEWS.com.au new ways to reach and target new audiences. Along with the most consistent and dominant content spine of Sunrise, The Morning Show, The Chase, 7NEWS and Home and Away. We’re excited about what we’re able to offer to ensure that working together, we can make 2021 and beyond a success as we all embark on the road to recovery.”

Content and results

Across 2020, Seven has delivered outstanding results with clear proof points for its partners across its prime time content lineup. Partners have integrated and featured in Seven’s content in new and innovative ways, reaching their key audiences.

Big Brother , the loved and adored global television phenomenon, offered KFC the opportunity to fully integrate their brand and the show’s success delivered tangible benefits that would have otherwise not have been possible thanks to the span of Big Brother across broadcast, BVOD on 7plus, and social.

Angela Richards, KFC Group Marketing Director, said: “The opportunities to fully integrate your brand into TV culture are few and far between. So, partnering with Big Brother in 2020 was definitely a no-brainer. And true to expectation, our series of integrations within the program set a new benchmark for KFC in becoming part of the entertainment of a program and adding value beyond being a sponsor. What’s just as pleasing is that the partnership also drove tangible results - Big Brother helped KFC to drive increases in Spontaneous Awareness and Brand Buzz well ahead of year ago, two key metrics of brand and business health for us.

“We are really looking forward to our partnership with Big Brother in 2021. We know our biggest contribution to the program content is through our delicious chicken and we’ll be continuing to reward, surprise and delight the housemates with that taste they love. But next year, we hope to bring in even more larrikin fun to the challenges and to the house experience itself.”

For Youfoodz and Toyota, Farmer Wants A Wife was the perfect platform to reach their target audiences authentically, with the seamless integration delivering strong results for both brands.

Simon Jarvis, Youfoodz Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Our integrated sponsorship of Farmer Wants a Wife set a new benchmark in terms of what we’re hoping to achieve from our partnerships as we continue to grow our business. The integration delivered exceptional results and had a big impact on our overall brand health as well as driving a considerable amount of traffic to our website. The insights and learnings we’ve uncovered via the TV Squared analysis have also been valuable in helping us learn what worked well, in addition to what we need to refine for the upcoming season to drive the best outcomes. We’re really excited about the next phase of our association with the programme and can’t wait to get started.”

Toyota Australia said: “Farmer Wants A Wife was the ideal platform for Toyota to showcase our rural and regional community initiatives.”

In April, at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, Coles partnered with Seven to deliver What’s For Dinner , a campaign during 7NEWS at 6.00 that each night shared a recipe for dinner, all from iconic chefs including Luke Mangan, Darren Purchese, Matt Stone and Kylie Millar. Each segment was shot by the chefs in their homes and connected with Coles’ customers looking for tips and tricks on family favourites and go-to meal ideas for home cooking.

Lisa Ronson, Coles Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Our aim was for Coles to help inspire cooking for Australians with great value meal ideas, at a time people are looking for inspiration more than ever. The work our Coles team was able to do with 7RED and OMD is best practice collaboration from ideation to implementation. A great example of delivering on the value proposition for our customers and the partnership.”

These results delivered for partners will only be expanded in on 2021, with a full and uncompromised prime time content offering across the year, along with the new additions of Tokyo 2020, a home Ashes Series, Supercars, and the most watched sport in the country, AFL. Along with the returning with year-round Horse Racing and the Big Bash. All underpinned by the 7NEWS and Sunrise, the most watched news and public affairs offering.

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Seven’s unmatched content offering featuring the biggest television brands in the world will deliver a fast start for brands in 2022.

Natalie Harvey, Seven Network Sales Director, said: “In 2020, despite the challenges we were able to deliver tangible results for our partners across our content lineup. Whether it was in our prime time tentpoles, in 7NEWS, Sunrise or across sport, our objective is to enable brands to connect with our audience, their customer and always create meaningful outcomes.

“We saw huge growth in sport with the AFL, and 7NEWS and Sunrise proved unmissable in the most newsworthy year of our lifetime, further proof of the power of local news that Australians can trust. With phenomenal growth across 7plus and social, driving more engagement with our content than ever before.

“In 2021 and 2022 we’ll have the freshest and most disruptive shows, and the biggest events on Seven. For the first time in a long time Seven is the challenger brand. For our partners, it will represent a unique proposition to reach their audiences of choice. Seven will be the partner for growth in a year where growth has never been so important, not just in terms of our audience but for clients in every industry, across the whole country. Replicating a year like 2020 is not on our agenda.

When it comes to planning for audience growth, we are making it easier by supplying predicted ratings across the year to be used for analysis as well as buying.

To help to help seamlessly create and deliver campaigns that produce real results, 7RED has proven to be indispensable partner for brands”

7RED

Seven’s cohesive strategic cross-media unit, 7RED, was key to the execution of campaigns from Coles, Toyota, KFC and others across 2020. By working with 7RED, brands can easily integrate with Seven’s leading content offering on broadcast and digital platforms, placing their brand in the biggest cultural moments of the year and reaching their bullseye audiences.

Seven is enhancing our offering in 2021 thanks to 7REDiQ, Seven’s new audience intelligence platform, and SWMID, which combined allows partners to better understand and find relevant audiences more than ever before. Partners can take their learnings from 7REDiQ and directly apply it to a campaign strategy with 7RED, smoothly and seamlessly delivering a campaign that achieves the results they are targeting. Identify, Enrich, Fuse, Activate and Measure: all in one place, with Seven.

Katie Finney, Strategy Solutions Director, said: “Partnering with Seven through 7RED, brands can easily integrate into the best content offering in the market. By adding 7REDiQ, brands are now able to seamlessly move from learning and understanding about their target audiences directly to a campaign strategy that delivers on their objectives and meets their targets.”

Innovative initiatives across 2020, Seven have delivered new and innovative ways for partners to connect with their target audiences.

Seven’s Enhanced Advertiser and Viewer Experience - EAVE - was launched with Big Brother. Brands that leveraged this new opportunity saw their brand consideration grow by 10 per cent due to the de-cluttered advertising environment and reduced break length and frequency.

7CAP, Contextual Ad Placement, has delivered a 10 per cent uplift in brand awareness and consideration. The cumulative effect of these innovations will be enhanced with new initiatives.

CODE 7, Seven’s evolved Campaign Optimisation Delivery Experience. Delivering a guaranteed audience, increased effectiveness and reduced workload across broadcast and soon, BVOD. On 7plus, Programmatic Freeze Frame places a partner’s brand into live streaming for the first time, when the viewer decides it’s time for a break, and it’s already delivering results for Nestle, who partnering with Seven and Matterkind have taken advantage of Programmatic Freeze Frame.

Flaminia Sapori, Head of Partnerships at Matterkind, said: “Broadcast sponsorships have always been the domain of a traditionally planned and bought media execution. This new development is a big step up for brands which can now leverage these high impact formats programmatically to expand their addressable footprint. Freeze frame is a great solution which gives brands the ability to capture an already engaged audience on Connected Television through a break, delivering a relevant and contextual message. We now have the ability to serve this product through programmatic pipes which allows for better (cohesive) audience targeting and enhances the user’s brand experience.”

From next year when our talent or our content inspires consumers to purchase, we’ll enable them to do so in the moment. With the introduction of Ecommerce directly within the content or advertisement, creating the most direct connection possible between brands and their target customers. This will help businesses not just build brands but create purchases.

Viewers that binge watch content on 7plus are more engaged with the content they’re watching. To help keep those viewers engaged and deliver better results for partners, 7plus will feature a streamlined advertising experience when viewers are binge watching, keeping them watching longer and increasing their engagement with the content and advertisements during it.

Nicole Bence, Seven Network Digital Sales Director, said: “We’re continually pushing the boundaries to enhance the advertiser experience on 7plus. The combined impact of new ad formats, an improved addressable product suite and a growing schedule of exclusive content makes 7plus not just the natural choice for brands looking to reach audiences on BVOD but also a better destination and experience for audiences. The end result is a more engaged audience, delivering better results against the marketing outcomes we know are most important to you.”

Mr Burnette concluded: “In 2021 and beyond, our objective is to continually deliver the most positively disruptive schedule of fresh and engaging content, providing the very best experience for our audiences and partners.”

[TV.Cynic]

SWM enhances first-party data proposition strengthening people-based marketing opportunities

• SWMID provides a comprehensive picture of consumers

• Data partnerships enable deeper audience understanding and insight

• 7REDiQ offers visualises data to allow for effective plan, buy and measure

• Seven West Media (ASX: SWM) today detailed their comprehensive, data-driven solution for brands to reach their target audiences.

Comprised of millions of SWMIDs, Seven’s unique first-party audience identifier, enhanced with extensive second-party data partnerships, will power a new audience insights, activation and measurement solution within 7REDiQ, SWM’s new audience intelligence platform. 7REDiQ will bring brands closer to their desired audiences than ever before.

Brands will then be able to leverage this intelligence with 7RED, Seven’s cohesive strategic cross-media unit for brands.

The combined impact of these initiatives will enable brands to better reach their key audiences across SWM’s market-leading content offering and deliver them enhanced results.

Charlotte Valente, SWM Chief Marketing Officer, said: “ Being an audience-centric business means that knowing and understanding our audience is key to our success. It’s already driven big decisions, like acquiring The Voice which builds on Australians’ affinity with live music and entertainment. The fused data inside 7REDiQ was key to establishing that audience understanding.

“ Leveraging our first-party data around each consumer, a unique SWMID, combined with what our data partners add, offers an unbeatable starting point for your people-based marketing strategies.

“7REDiQ takes that data and offers brands the ability to target exactly the people they want to reach, along with comprehensive audience forecasts and measurements. Best of all, it’s straightforward for brands to take the insights and knowledge 7REDiQ provides and turn that into an actionable campaign with 7RED.

“ Identify, enrich, fuse, activate and measure – one clear pathway to delivering results for your brand. That’s what Seven can offer you. ”

SWMID and data partnerships

SWM’s first-party data, anchored by the SWMID, offers brands a comprehensive picture of consumers in the SWM audience universe. The SWMID is our unique identifier for SWM audiences, now associated with a multitude of data points that paints a clear picture of that consumer. It associates not just a consumer’s viewing habits with them, but a collection of other data about them, including location, brand affinities, purchase insights, sentiment and more.

Leveraging a diversity of data points is key to the powering the SWMID, which is why SWM has partnered with leading Australian data and analytics businesses to help provide the most complete picture of each audience member. These partnerships span a broad range of different data types, enhancing their combined impact for brands that partner with Seven.

TEG Analytics’ (TEGA) dataset, powered by over 16 million active Australian ticket buyers, allows insight into consumers entertainment and lifestyle preferences. Building on top of TEGA’s leading dataset is their partnership with flybuys, which through their 8.6 million members enables insights into a consumer’s affinity across food, beverage and CPG categories.

LANDMARKS ID enables SWM to understand the real-world movement of consumers through a comprehensive point of interest network mapped against 350 of Australia’s top brands locations. This provides an expansive set of location-based insights about our consumers.

CarsGuide provides insight on auto-intenders, enabling a closer and more strategic targeting of this key, competitive sector, that every year drives billions of dollars in purchases.

Combined with LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution (ATS) to enable cookieless data collection, which SWM is the first media organisation in Australia to implement, the result is a comprehensive and unbeatable picture of audiences, and one that will only get richer as time passes.

SWM will continue to enhance their second-party data partnerships, with more partners to be announced in the coming weeks.

7REDiQ

7REDiQ is SWM’s audience intelligence platform and will prove to be the end-to-end solution for brands as they look to understand and reach their audiences. It enables brands to fuse their own data with SWM’s first-party and partner data, to activate it across Seven platforms including 7plus and 7NEWS.com.au, and then measure their results. We call this Bring Your Own Data (BYOD)

Built to allow Seven to deliver on its goal of being an audience-centric business, 7REDiQ fast-tracks audience understanding across all of SWM’s touchpoints. It enables understanding of who is engaging with Seven’s content and overlays it with lifestyle trends, sentiment, location and purchase insights from Australia’s leading data partners. The result is a comprehensive and actionable picture of the viewer.

Kurt Burnette, SWM Chief Revenue Officer, said: “ Data and insights that can be actioned are more important than ever before. For brands to reach their target audiences, it’s crucial that they understand where those audiences are and what drives them.

“ The combination of 7REDiQ, SWMID and our data partnerships, all activated by 7RED across our market-leading content offering, delivers an end-to-end solution for brands to plan, buy and measure their way to successful campaigns.

“ We’ve invested in the infrastructure and partnerships to enable brands to reach exactly their target audiences, enhancing their ability to plan their campaigns, buy in line with their goals, and easily quantify their success. ”

7REDiQ visualises audiences, allowing brands to identify them by what and when they watch, read, buy and do, and where they live, work, shop and play. This makes it simple for brands to plan, buy and measure high value audiences and to have an intimate understanding of them, enhancing the effectiveness of their campaigns.

Importantly, 7REDiQ allows partners to own the relationship ecosystem with their customers, unlike competing offerings from tech giants. 7REDiQ’s focus is on offering relevant, dynamic, up to the minute audience intelligence that will bring campaigns to life.

Brands will be able to easily leverage the new insights offered through 7REDiQ and SWMID by seamlessly engaging with 7RED, Seven’s cohesive strategic cross-media unit. 7RED is responsible for many successful campaigns in 2020 alone and is the best way to integrate with Seven’s market leading content.

Mr Burnette concluded: “ Being able to act on data and insights is key to the success of our business and the success of brands who partner with us. With 7REDiQ’s data partnerships, brands will know how, where and when to reach their target audiences.

“ Brands can now take those insights and with 7RED, execute a campaign that integrates deeply across our broadcast, BVOD and online. It’s an unmatched, end to end offering for brands, and we can’t wait to work with them on it.

“ One seamless pathway to success for your brand – all with Seven. ”

[TV.Cynic]

Discuss further here