In Australia’s increasingly competitive streaming landscape, 7plus has carved out a unique position with its “bonfire and fireworks” strategy, a content mix designed to maximise both long-term engagement and high-impact premieres.
Andrew Green, director of content and strategy at 7plus, explains the philosophy behind this approach: “With the firework shows, hopefully, they burn big and bright. There are lots of ‘ooh and ahh’ moments – good or bad. People know about them, talk about them, and they make a big splash,” he says.
“Then you’ve got the bonfire shows, the ones that smoulder and burn – that are sustainable and returnable. You might watch them years ago and then come back and watch them again. So, like Bones, Sons of Anarchy, the Law & Orders, and CSIs – those types of programs. Lots of seasons are helpful, but they also have a returning value of audience to them. One makes a big splash, and the other just consistently provides audiences all the way through the year.”
This dual-content strategy is helping 7plus grow at a rapid pace, attracting both advertisers and viewers in an increasingly fragmented streaming market.
Andrew Green, director of content and strategy at 7plus.
Suits: L.A. – a high-stakes acquisition
Among the “fireworks” set to make a major impact is the highly anticipated spin-off Suits: L.A.. The new series continues the legacy of Suits, a show that has seen resurgent popularity thanks to its availability on Netflix and Meghan Markle’s association with the original franchise.
Green notes that 7plus originally aired Suits back in its early days before the series moved to Foxtel, but the legal drama has gained an entirely new generation of fans in recent years.
Now, Suits: L.A. is coming to 7plus with a strategic global rollout.
“That was an absolute requirement – to go day and date with the US,” Green explains. “It airs on Sunday night in the States, and we’ll be airing it on Monday night, just a few hours later in Australia.”
Suits L.A.
The global conversation around television premieres has become a critical component of viewership and marketing strategies for streaming services. The buzz generated by a weekly rollout, as seen with HBO’s Succession and The White Lotus, fuels audience engagement over time – something 7plus is keen to replicate.
“Being part of a global conversation is certainly going to help it,” Green says. “There will be a lot of buzz, especially social buzz, about this series – like what you have in the States with HBO shows. White Lotus and Succession had that traditional weekly rollout, and we’re bringing that same strategy with Suits.”
Weekly releases, rather than binge drops, are proving to be a smarter strategy for long-term viewer retention.
“Apple TV+ has gone back to weekly, you see it on Disney+ a fair bit as well,” Green explains. “Netflix has chosen certain shows to have weekly drops. I’ve seen research that suggests having a weekly drop actually increases the audience overall by about 20% rather than dropping everything at once. It creates appointment viewing and keeps people coming back regularly.”
Strong performance from 7plus exclusives
While “fireworks” like Suits: L.A. drive immediate engagement, 7plus continues to expand its exclusive content lineup. The platform has seen impressive results with true crime and investigative series, which have consistently attracted high audiences.
“We had Mr Bates vs The Post Office about a year ago, and it was incredible,” Green says. “The success of that really helped us understand what we can achieve in the exclusive space on 7plus.”
More recently, the docuseries Murder in a Small Town has been a standout, averaging 250,000 viewers per episode.
“That series performed very well for us,” Green says. “It reinforced that audiences are eager for high-end, exclusive dramas on 7plus. That’s been the missing piece for us – we’ve always had such a strong ‘bonfire’ library, but we needed those big ‘fireworks’ moments as well.”
Mr Bates vs The Post Office
Audience growth and sports streaming boom
7plus is growing rapidly, with 600,000 new users downloading the platform over the 2024-25 summer alone.
“We know who they are, all verified. And 40% of them went on to stream the cricket,” Green says. “What’s really interesting is that 70% of them were under 55, so we’re seeing a strong increase in younger audiences.”
Sports remain a critical driver for advertisers and audience engagement. 7plus saw significant growth during its cricket coverage, and similar results are expected as the AFL season kicks off.
“The AFL season is just a couple of weeks away so it’s a very exciting time,” Green says. “We expect similar results to what we saw with cricket.”
Importantly, 7plus is not cannibalising traditional broadcast audiences – it’s adding incremental reach.
“With cricket, broadcast audiences grew year on year,” Green notes. “It wasn’t about splitting viewers between broadcast and streaming. Instead, the total audience was up across both. Broadcast remained steady or even grew, and 7plus added an entirely new audience on top. We’re expecting the same thing with AFL – steady or growing on broadcast, and everything on 7plus is the cream.”
A growing powerhouse in Australian streaming
7plus is leveraging a unique mix of evergreen content, exclusive acquisitions, and live sports to maintain its position as Australia’s fastest-growing free streaming service.
With a 43% share of the BVOD (Broadcaster Video on Demand) market and a 29% year-on-year increase in viewership, the platform is attracting new audiences and advertisers alike.
“40% of viewers come to 7plus only to watch the non-broadcasting content,” Green says. “They’re coming in specifically for these bonfires and fireworks that we’ve added to the platform. That’s a very consistent number – it shows that we’re delivering a streaming experience that goes beyond just catch-up TV.”
Pictured: Suits L.A.