Tuesday September 17, 2024
Paramount Australia Upfront 2025: Beverley McGarvey and Rod Prosser upbeat on outlook
Paramount Australia has started its 2025 Upfront schedule. It becomes the first of the FTA TV networks to outline its programming plans for the year ahead.
The company is holding a handful of intimate gatherings in Sydney and bigger events in Melbourne and Brisbane.
In addition to the programming schedule for Network 10, the broadcaster has also detailed key content coming to streaming platform Paramount+.
The key message to clients and media agencies it will be easy for them to access key Paramount ANZ content across all platforms in the future. And there is an enhanced product to help them sell stuff!
Paramount will also retire the 10 Play brand in 2025, simply calling both its live linear offering and the on-demand service 10.
To learn more, Mediaweek spoke with Beverley McGarvey, president of Network 10 & head of streaming and regional lead, Paramount Australia and New Zealand. Also Rod Prosser, chief sales officer, Paramount Australia & New Zealand.
Beverley McGarvey and Rod Prosser join Paramount Australia talent and executives at the first 2025 Upfront event
Business as usual during Paramount sale process
We started the interview asking McGarvey about the future of Paramount Global and how a change of ownership could impact Australia.
“It’s really business as usual for us,” she started. “We’re excited about the potential opportunities that change brings.
“We are still driving towards the same objectives, growing audiences on all platforms, growing revenue on all platforms.”
Otherwise, she said there wasn’t much she could add, but expects to be able to share more as the date of the 2025 expected handover to Skydance Media gets closer.
McGarvey added that the content 10’s FTA channels and streaming platform Paramount+ are getting from the parent company is “better than ever”.
She also noted it’s been tough for all players to some extent. “Locally and globally the media industry is having one of its moments of accelerated change. That’s true for every company. We’re just trying to keep our heads down, do our job, try and get people to watch our shows and buy our shows.”
Paramount’s Daniel Monaghan with Rod Prosser
How market conditions impacted planning
As to how the depressed state of the ad market might have impacted the Upfront with regard to future plans, McGarvey said: “It has been a challenging year market-wise. That has forced us to accelerate some things that we would have done anyway, in terms of moving more quickly into a converged model, and being more cognisant of ensuring that our premium video content is served to people everywhere in an easy fashion.”
Rod Prosser added: “We’ve always been cognisant of structural change. This is why we accelerated our converged positioning and offering. This year allowed us to recognise we are much broader than just a freeware brand or channel.
“It was important for us to put all those pieces in place. That’s why we’ve made a lot of noise around our converged, not just only our offering in terms of tech and what that means for advertisers, but also how we represent ourselves, how we show up in the ad market.”
Inside Paramount Connect
One of the key messages Prosser and his team will be taking to market is how Paramount Connect will make it easier to advertise in key content regardless of his and where people consume it.
“The reality is, we have to make it easy for advertisers and agencies and clients to trade our content and our audiences. So simply put, we’ve had the benefit of being part of, as you know, a significant global business.
“We’ve been able to access proprietary tools and tech that we wouldn’t normally have access to. It allowed us to launch some of that here in this market. That will form the basis of our converged ad tech offering. Off the back of that, we have restructured and realigned our teams into two groups.
Prosser’s two dual-team attack
“One is one is a generalist team, which will really own the relationship with the agencies and the clients. Then we’ll have a specialist team that will support that generalist team. And that might be specialists in digital, sport, etc.
“We’ve really set ourselves up to make it easy, first and foremost, for advertisers to trade with us and access our audiences and take that friction out of the transaction. But importantly, it’s what the markets wanted. We’ve had the great benefit of launching an ad tier on our SVOD, which just meant we had to join all those dots.”
The second half of 2025 is the complicated bit. “That’s when we will bring in our linear feeds into that connected environment. There’s a bit of complexity around that piece. It’s not easy.”
Paramount ANZ has kept its messages to market simple this year. One is the change in branding of Shoppable TV to Pause to Shop.
“We did a proof of concept this year within Survivor, and it went gangbusters.”
This is how Pause to Shop Works
Prosser explained: “Essentially a frame comes up, tiny little frame on the screen, when there’s a moment that’s potentially shoppable. For us, it was with the Survivor buffs [neckwear merchandise].
“You click on it, and it takes you into a shoppable environment, whether that’s a website or online shopping.
“We’re rolling that out globally now. The international business is super interested in it, not just for advertisers, but also for some of the products that we have around our own content. We also have a consumer product business.
“That’s the evolution of that product which will roll out more broadly and be within more shows. The important thing is that it’s not invasive. We really worked hard to ensure that we keep the eyeballs on the screen, knowing that people are multi-screening while they’re watching content. And we didn’t want it to be invasive.”
Own the ad moment
“The second product is around contextual advertising. We look at our shows and find relevant moments for brands or advertisers. As that moment happens and we roll into a break, we can feed an ad or sponsor message that sits adjacent to that contextual moment within the content.
“That’s also something the viewer can react to when it’s on the screen.”
10’s 7.30 franchises
The biggest audiences and therefore the biggest ad spends come after 7.30pm for 10. We asked McGarvey for a 7.30pm report card.
“There are certain big brands that have done great jobs for us this year and will continue to build – I’m a Celebrity, Survivor, MasterChef, The Amazing Race. But what I would say is we are not complacent about the lineup.
“The audience can move so quickly. We work very hard to make sure of two things that audience like with those big franchises. We want them to be both familiar and different. For example, next year, the main series of MasterChef will be Back to Win.
“We haven’t done that for five years. Viewers will get some familiar faces and Gordon Ramsay is going to be there at the beginning.
“We work really hard to make sure there’s a reason to come back to MasterChef. Same with Survivor. In 2025 it is Brains v Brawn and then later in the year Australia Versus the World.
‘While our audience loves them, and our clients love them, we work super hard to keep pushing them and make them different and engaging while keeping the core format that people love.
What’s the ideal number of episodes per week?
McGarvey: “Every show’s different. Very few shows hold up beyond three episodes a week now. The big legacy brands like MasterChef and The Block, you can still get away with four.”
10 is breaking those rules with two significant programs in 2025 – I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here on five nights a week and then the return of Big Brother across six nights.
“Audiences love those brands and they’re familiar with that cadence.”
McGarvey also noted a large proportion of the audience is not watching their shows at 7.30 on a Monday night or Tuesday night. “They’re watching it whenever it suits them. And we are fine with that. We just want to make sure that we get it to them wherever they want it in a timely fashion.”
10’s hottest new property is one the audience already loves
That would be the untitled Sam Pang project which is still in development. All we know is its unscripted and not from the Working Dog stable.
Pang will be producing. “We trust him,” said McGarvey. There are not many stars you could take to market for a project without a name or format. Pang is one of them.
“The thing that we’ve learned with comedy is that you’ve got to let the people who are making comedy do it.
“And we do really trust Sam. And honestly, he just won’t tell us. But we’re okay with that.” [Laughs]
“He’ll have a network EP, but we really want to let Sam make the show that he wants to make because we think it will be better.”
The return of Big Brother…Live! 6 days a week!
McGarvey: “It’s a brilliant structure. Audiences love live content. And they love being able to interact with content on TV.
“There’s not that much live stuff anymore outside of news. It will be back to basics. It will be cast from a range of regular Australians. There’ll be all sorts of people, not just young, pretty people. Although of course, there will be young, pretty people.”
Sharing content between Paramount+ and 10
10 has been letting people who pay for Paramount+ get a look at content that’s screened on the FTA channels.
Not all traffic flows the other way though.
“There are certain things like Fake and Last King of the Cross that are absolutely streaming originals,” said McGarvey.
“Fake was phenomenally successful and Last King of the Cross has gone really well.”
The price point for Paramount+ remains super competitive. “Don’t forget the ad tier. In a cost of living crisis, you can get access for one year to all the content on the ad tier for $62.”
Future of drama commissions on FTA
The future of drama is mostly SVOD. Although McGarvey pointed to the commissioning of the Christmas movie Staycation coming to 10 in 2025.
“In the future we will premiere some stuff on 10, but when we drop it on 10, we’ll also drop it on Paramount+ so that those consumers get it.”
Paramount Australia’s sporting chance
McGarvey: “We love having the football, the mix of the consistency of the A-Leagues, and then the event content that you get from the Socceroos and Matildas. It works well for us across all platforms. Obviously, it’s a very tactical sport investment, but I think it’s important for us to have a full suite of assets.
“We have news, we have sport, we have drama, we have great comedy, we have great international content. We see ourselves as a full-service premium video provider. So, it is important that we have that sport vertical.
“We’re probably not in the business of having massive loss-making sport. Although, as those new arrangements might become available, we will tactically look at other sports opportunities. We will absolutely examine them as they come up.
“For the moment, having the football, the NBL, and the AGP. We have a good tactical suite of sport.”
See also:
• Paramount Upfront 2025: 10 kicking of the year with a Pang, + returning Big Brother and Your Gen
• Paramount innovates in advertising with expanded Contextual CTV Ads + new data proposition
• Paramount Australia announces Converged Advertising Technology – Paramount Connect
• Network 10 and Paramount+ commission BBC Studios for local version of comedy series Ghosts
• Paramount+ in 2025: Big stars, big drama, big live sport and a mountain of entertainment
Paramount Upfront 2025: 10 kicking off the year with a Pang, + returning Big Brother and Your Gen
Network 10 has revealed its key programming highlights at its 2025 Paramount Upfront. Below is an edited summary of all the announcements.
New Sam Pang project for 10
One of the stars of Have You Been Paying Attention? and fresh from another stellar job hosting the Logies, Sam Pang is creating and starring in his very own weekly show on 10.
Daniel Monaghan, SVP content and programming, Paramount Australia said: “Sam Pang has been part of the 10 family for over a decade and we’re delighted to have commissioned his brand-new show for 2025.
“Sam’s quick wit has kept Aussies laughing for years, and we know his fresh new program will give audiences exactly what they want.
“We are currently in the final stages of development, and we can’t wait to share it with viewers in the new year.”
Big Brother moving back to 10 in Q4
Next year, 10 welcomes Big Brother home to the network that first introduced this reality TV juggernaut to Australian audiences.
The lineup of housemates will include a cross-section of relatable, everyday Australians whom audiences will be able to interact with in real time. The Big Brother revival will launch across all Network 10 platforms in quarter four of 2025.
Monaghan said: “Big Brother, the show that started it all, is coming back to 10 where it belongs. It’ll be bigger, better and bolder than ever before.
“With 24-hour live streaming, live nominations and live evictions, viewers won’t dare miss a moment of the drama as it all unfolds in real time. Get ready Australia – Big Brother is watching.”
Also returning to 10 is the comedy quiz show Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation – now known as Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Gen.
With a new host and three new team captains, this intergenerational panel show pits Gen X, the Millennials and the Zoomers against each other in a battle to find out which is the best generation of ever and ever.
A Ghost story on 10 & Paramount+
Critically acclaimed international comedy Ghosts is being adapted by BBC Studios Australia in a new local version.
Based on the smash British sitcom, this eight-part series will be set in a haunted country house and feature new ghosts with a distinctly Aussie twist.
Ghosts Australia will commence production in the new year and premiere on 10 and Paramount+ in 2025.
From poltergeists to pranksters in 2025, The Inspired Unemployed remain as busy as ever with a brand-new comedy travel series: The List.
A bucket list comedy travel show, The List follows Jack and Matt (AKA Falcon) as they holiday around the globe. From Japan to South Africa, Germany to Finland and Malaysia to India, The List promises an itinerary high on laughs and awkward and unexpected situations. The List is coming to 10 and Paramount+ in 2025.
The Inspired Unemployed also return for another season of comedy chaos in 2025 with a fresh series of The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers on 10 and Paramount+.
Rounding out the year with a good dose of festive cheer is Staycation, a feature-length, live action Christmas movie from Ludo, the producers of the smash hit series, Bluey. This comedy sees a dysfunctional middleclass family attempt to survive their Christmas break at home, only to find themselves accidentally mixed up with some very dangerous characters indeed.
With more than a nod to the uproarious National Lampoon film franchise, this Aussie comedy will be ready to unwrap Christmas on 10 and Paramount+.
New reality series Airport 24/7, with exclusive, unfettered access to Melbourne Airport’s air traffic control tower, drops viewers into the daily mayhem of the Aussie airline industry as it shines a spotlight on the firies, Feds, border patrollers, air traffic controllers and baggage handlers on the frontlines. With over 700 flights and 90,000 passengers passing through Melbourne Airport every day, there’s sure to be no shortage of drama both in the air and on the ground.
If you have a penchant for the rollercoaster ride that is the property market, then make a date to inspect House Hunters Australia. From humble suburban homes to high-end city pads, House Hunters Australia pairs potential buyers with agents in the quest for a win-win deal.
January and February boasts Celebrity and Survivor
Kicking off the year while you’re relaxing through summer, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! is back in the jungle with a new batch of celebrity campmates.
Who’ll be tucking into eyeball hors-d’oeuvres or bunking with bed bugs when the show returns Sunday, January 19? That’s for hosts Robert Irwin and Julia Morris to know… and for us to find out!
Next year will boast not one but two strategy-stuffed seasons of Australian Survivor. February sees a sequel of sorts to our most successful theme show ever with Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn II. Once again, two tribes are separated by smarts and strength, before battling it out on the beaches of Samoa for the title, the glory, and half a million dollars.
The second outing for the format next year will see local Survivor legends take on players from Survivor franchises around the world in the unsurprisingly titled Survivor: Australia v The World.
Cheer on some of Australia’s most celebrated players including George, Shonee and Kirby as they face off against superstar players from Survivor South Africa, Norway, New Zealand, and of course the U.S., who will be represented by Survivor legends Parvati, Tony and Cirie.
Meanwhile, contestants in The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition are still running the 2024 season. The competition has never been fiercer as our teams crisscross the globe in their quest to win $100,000 for their chosen charity.
MasterChef Australia judges in 2024
MasterChef Australia: Back To Win in screening next year with judges Andy Allen, Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow, and Jean-Christophe Novelli. The series will feature fan favourites who previously missed out on the trophy, all returning for another shot at glory.
MasterChef Australia: Back To Win kicks off with a special guest judge in the kitchen with internationally renowned and multi-Michelin starred chef Gordon Ramsay turning up the heat.
Dessert Masters is once again on the menu this October with the launch of the much-anticipated second season. Hosts Melissa Leong and Amaury Guichon have enlisted some of the biggest names in the biz in their search for pastry perfection, including Emelia Jackson, Katherine Sabbath, Reece Hignell, Darren Purchese, Alisha Henderson, Christy Tania, Dan Pasquali, Donato Toce, Jana Lai and John Demetrios.
October will also herald the triumphant return of comedy hit Taskmaster Australia when Season 3 puts Pete Helliar, Mel Buttle, Aaron Chen, Concetta Caristo and Rhys Nicholson to the test.
Host Tom Gleeson and his sidekick Tom Cashman will be back in the new year to put another bunch of celebs through their paces. The Taskmaster Australia Season 4 line up will see Tommy Little, Emma Holland, Lisa McCune, Takashi Wakasugi and Dave Hughes forced to think laterally and maybe fail literally.
‘Super-charged schedule of addictive, premium content’
Daniel Monaghan added: “2025 will showcase a super-charged schedule of addictive, premium content on 10, with fresh home-grown hits rolling out right off the bat in January starting with I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and continuing all the way through to December with Big Brother. It’s a diverse slate of brilliant entertainment mixing audience favourites with brand new shows destined to be viewers’ new obsessions.”
Returning programming
10 will continue to deliver full on LOLs in 2025. The Logie-winning Have You Been Paying Attention? will be back with host Tom Gleisner and panel regulars Sam Pang and Ed Kavalee.
The Cheap Seats also returns to take a wry look back at the week that was with hosts Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald. And the current season of Thank God You’re Here continues every Wednesday night when Australia’s funniest performers step through the blue door into the unknown.
New Todd Sampson
Todd Sampson is on a mission to find the answers in his new series, Todd Sampson’s Why?
Sampson said: “‘Why?’ It’s our very first question. Our way of understanding the world. This series explores the ‘whys’ of some of the most fascinating people on the planet. We’ll dive into the death-defying desires of base jumpers, explore the forward-thinking doomsday preppers, investigate the tangled life of a donor dad and delve into the mystical world of an alien church.
“Some ‘whys’ may never be fully answered, and some may be hard to swallow. But it’s by understanding others that we better understand ourselves.”
Returning programs include The Dog House Australia, Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia, Deal or No Deal and the Logie-winning Gogglebox Australia.
Shark Tank Australia also returns in October. This time, 10 welcomes new sharks Maxine Horne and Nick Bell, who’ll join returning investors Davie Fogarty, Jane Lu and Robert Herjavec.
There’ll be a new season of The Graham Norton Show, which is also bound for screens in October.
He’ll also be bust hosting Wheel Of Fortune Australia in primetime later this year on 10.
International dramas
Major franchise dramas in 2025 include all new seasons of Law & Order: SVU, Elsbeth, FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, FBI International, NCIS, NCIS: Sydney, NCIS: Hawai’i and the latest addition to the NCIS franchise, NCIS: Origins. Set in 1991, this prequel to the original series follows Jethro Gibbs at the outset of his career.
Kathy Bates stars as the brilliant Madeline Matlock in the new legal drama series, Matlock.
Also coming next year is the season premiere of Watson, a modern take on Sherlock Holmes’ clever offsider, following the titular John Watson as he pivots from sleuthing to solving medical mysteries.
Life in Ramsay Street continues when Neighbours hits 10’s screens once more. Expect just as much drama, action, scandal and romance as ever!
On the news front, The Project will continue to provide Australians with their dose of news delivered differently six nights a week, while 10 News First will present the most comprehensive coverage of local, national and international news stories.
10’s weekday news offerings around the clock are 10 News First: Lunchtime at 1pm and 10 News First: Afternoon at 3.30pm. There’s also 10 News First at 5pm and then 10’s Late News at 10pm on 10 Play and 10.30pm on 10.
10’s sporting offer
Paramount Australia and Football Australia recently inked a multi-platform media rights deal for Australian national teams through to 2028. This means Network 10 and Paramount+ will remain the home of the CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos in Australia.
Network 10 and Paramount+ continue to be the home of all A-League Men’s and Women’s matches for the 2024/25 season, delivering fans more football than ever before.
Basketball lovers will be thrilled to learn that, for the first time in a decade, the NBL is returning to a main free-to-air channel. Sunday’s 2:30pm marquee game will be broadcast on Channel 10, while 10 BOLD will broadcast a Sunday 4:30pm game.
The MotoGP World Championship returns this October, while the high speed, high stakes, high octane thrills of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix will be back in Melbourne next March.
Adam Cush, sport production director, Paramount Australia said: “Network 10 is entering a new era of sport, and we can already hear fans cheering from the sidelines.
“Our offering is as diverse as the Aussie audiences watching in 2025, and we’re committed to showcasing sport in innovative ways across all our platforms. Whether you want your fix of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, double doses of Sunday hoops with the NBL, the adrenaline rush of the MotoGP World Championship or all the A-Leagues, CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos football action, we’ve got you covered.”
See also:
• Paramount innovates in advertising with expanded Contextual CTV Ads + new data proposition
• Paramount Australia announces Converged Advertising Technology – Paramount Connect
• Network 10 and Paramount+ commission BBC Studios for local version of comedy series Ghosts
• Paramount+ in 2025: Big stars, big drama, big live sport and a mountain of entertainment
• Paramount+ orders murder mystery, Playing Gracie Darling from Curio Pictures
Paramount Australia announces Converged Advertising Technology – Paramount Connect
Paramount Australia is launching a new converged advertising trading technology called Paramount Connect in January 2025.
The broadcaster is calling it a ground-breaking, industry-leading solution allowing marketers to target and deliver audiences across every platform and program in Paramount’s content ecosystem.
Phase 1 of Paramount Connect will bring together broadcast video on demand (BVOD) platform 10 Play, streaming platform Paramount+ and more than 60 free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Pluto TV, into a unified digital ecosystem, the first of its kind in the Australian market, delivering a single customer view for advertising partners.
Phase 2 of will bring linear TV into the fold in the second half of 2025 with frictionless transactions across all screens and platforms.
Lee Sears, president international markets ad sales, Paramount, said this anticipated technology has been carefully crafted to understand audience behaviour and meet marketers’ needs by incorporating feedback from international advertising partners and fine-tuning the offering via global technology expertise.
“Paramount Connect will break through the silos of linear and digital, bringing together a complete and transparent picture of audience behaviour, offering advertisers unique opportunities across Paramount that delivers results for brands.
“Converged trading with Paramount Connect responds to the evolution of viewing. We know the choice between linear and BVOD is not a zero-sum game but is far more nuanced, affected by genre and format, shaped by sporting moments, and influenced by credible news and major events.
“It can navigate and tap into these opportunities and audience preferences, delivering platform agnostic viewer insights to drive business outcomes.
“Advertisers will be able to reach and engage audiences across all platforms, delivering scale and impact like never before, with the ability to prove the value of their investment,” added Sears.
Rod Prosser, chief sales officer, Paramount Australia said convergence was the driving force behind their future-focussed vision, sales team and strategy.
“Our ambition is clear. One team structured for success. One blended CPM. One way into more than 16 million Australians watching our channels and platforms but endless ways to execute business results.
“Paramount Connect will give the advertising market frictionless, flexible, targeted and simple converged trading in a unified digital ecosystem with a single customer view that will deliver results in the only Total TV offering in Australia,” added Prosser.
Paramount Brand Studio will also continue to support the sales team to create best in market ideas, campaigns and products that fans can buy, book and experience to maximise the viewing experience and deliver commercial success for our partners.
Paramount Australia said it is meeting with advertisers to discuss timelines and how to collaborate on the new offering and harness the power of One Paramount.
See also: VOZ, BVOD and brand safety: Paramount’s Rod Prosser & Daniel Monaghan wrap up 2023
See also:
• Paramount Upfront 2025: 10 kicking of the year with a Pang, + returning Big Brother and Your Gen
• Paramount innovates in advertising with expanded Contextual CTV Ads + new data proposition
• Network 10 and Paramount+ commission BBC Studios for local version of comedy series Ghosts
• Paramount+ in 2025: Big stars, big drama, big live sport and a mountain of entertainment
• Paramount+ orders murder mystery, Playing Gracie Darling from Curio Pictures
Paramount innovates in advertising with expanded Contextual CTV Ads + new data proposition
Paramount Australia is expanding its contextual Connected TV (CTV) advertising opportunities, sophisticated data partnerships, targeted audience profiles, as well as powerful data-informed advertising solutions and tools, to drive meaningful brand and business outcomes.
A major step forward in Paramount’s CTV advertising opportunities is being claimed with key partner KERV, introducing the contextual advertising offerings Pause to Shop and Own the Moment.
After the successful global, proof-of-concept pilot for Shoppable TV earlier this year, KERV and Paramount are scaling this CTV advertising opportunity across key tentpole programs including Australian Survivor and MasterChef Australia.
Now dubbed Pause to Shop this advertising solution turns brand exposure during Paramount’s premium shows, into product discovery opportunities.
From a high-stakes moment to a scene of celebration, Pause to Shop allows advertisers to convert relevant content moments with specific on-screen brand exposure, or even similar products or services, into immediate consumer engagement.
Diane Ho, digital advertising director (pictured above), Paramount Australia said: “Pause to Shop represents a significant leap forward in how we drive value for our advertising partners.
“By integrating seamless product discovery into our premium content, we’re transforming the way brands connect with their audiences, turning engagement into sales-actions.”
Own the Moment is being labelled the next premium CTV ad experience giving advertisers the unique ability to claim and enhance key contextual moments within Paramount’s programs allowing brands to align their messaging with scenes that evoke the desired emotional connection, pulling these program moments into the first ad-in break, accompanied by a shoppable brand opportunity that dynamically matches the in-show moments to the advertiser’s products or services.
Own the Moment enables advertisers to tap into the power of emotional connection, delivering a cohesive brand narrative that spans content and commerce, creating a connected consumer experience that drives deeper engagement and comprehensive brand impact.
Paramount’s contextual proposition unlocks key brand moments during shows and allows marketers to deliver scalable, context-driven and highly relevant ads that enhances viewer engagement and in turn, supercharges effectiveness.
Paramount Australia’s partnership with Innovid is also expanding with the introduction of social and vertical video solutions, giving advertisers without a brand TVC, the ability to maximise existing social media and vertical video creative assets, to create a premium CTV ad experience for the biggest screen in the house.
“Our deepened partnership with KERV and Innovid marks an exciting evolution in our advertising strategy,” added Shani Kugenthiran, digital advertising strategy and product director, Paramount Australia.
“By leveraging cutting-edge contextual and interactive solutions, we’re providing advertisers with unparalleled opportunities to engage audiences in meaningful and impactful ways that drive real business outcomes.”
Premium data proposition
Paramount Australia is also announcing significant advancements in its premium data proposition with strategic partnerships and data-driven advertising solutions that deliver enriched customer insights and data-informed activations that achieve results.
Three new premium data partners are joining Paramount to support diverse advertiser needs across various sectors including: Circana providing retail insights; the Australian Bureau of Statistics with demographic targeting capabilities and a global payment provider with transaction data.
Paramount’s first-party data points have also been harnessed to curate 80 premium, off-the-shelf audiences called Paramount Personas that are enriched with insights from all six premium data partners that also includes smrtr, Coles 360 and Samba TV, giving advertisers ease and precision to target priority audiences.
Data accessibility, flexibility and accuracy also underpins Paramount’s data proposition with a commitment to making Paramount’s data offerings accessible through various buy types and assurance of quality and accuracy supported by Paramount’s declared user login information.
Diane Ho added: “Our expanded suite of contextual and data-driven solutions empowers advertisers to connect with audiences more meaningfully and effectively.
“By leveraging advanced tools and strategic partnerships, we’re enabling brands to turn engagement into tangible business outcomes, driving both impact and innovation.”
See also:
• Paramount Upfront 2025: 10 kicking of the year with a Pang, + returning Big Brother and Your Gen
• Paramount Australia announces Converged Advertising Technology – Paramount Connect
• Network 10 and Paramount+ commission BBC Studios for local version of comedy series Ghosts
• Paramount+ in 2025: Big stars, big drama, big live sport and a mountain of entertainment
• Paramount+ orders murder mystery, Playing Gracie Darling from Curio Pictures
Paramount+ in 2025: Big stars, big drama, big live sport and a mountain of entertainment
Paramount+ has unveiled what it calls a diverse and expansive pipeline of premium local and international content spanning the best in entertainment, live sport action, blockbuster films, new originals, hit series and family favourites for 2025.
The platform is also able to brand itself Australia’s fastest-growing subscription TV platform.
Paramount+ is already home to some of the most successful Australian original series including Fake and The Last King of the Cross. The platform has announced another new commission with the original drama series, Playing Gracie Darling, to be produced by Curio Pictures.
Adding to the local line-up is the new Australian version of the critically acclaimed British comedy series Ghosts. Together with BBC Studios Productions Australia, Paramount+ and Network 10 will launch Ghosts Australia, the first local iteration of the hit sitcom set to land down under in 2025.
Also new is Staycation, a feature-length, live-action Christmas movie from Ludo, the producers of the smash hit series, Bluey. The comedy sees a dysfunctional middleclass family attempt to survive their Christmas break at home, only to find themselves accidentally mixed up with some very dangerous characters indeed.
The masterminds and pranksters behind The Inspired Unemployed, Jack Steele and Matt Ford (AKA Falcon) take on a new venture with the launch of the Paramount+ and Network 10 Australian original series The List, landing in 2025. The new six-part series is produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia.
There will also be more of the series The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers. This too is produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia.
NCIS: Sydney back on the Harbour
Following the successful debut of internationally acclaimed Australian series NCIS: Sydney, the eagerly awaited second season is set to dock on Paramount+ in 2025.
Celebrated as one of Australia’s most-watched local series and the first international iteration of the hit global NCIS franchise outside of the US, the next instalment promises even more action on Sydney’s Harbour as NCIS: Sydney squares off against a much more powerful adversary.
The cases are bigger, locations more exotic, and the stakes much higher. With everything on the line, will NCIS: Sydney triumph against all odds – or be torn apart at their very core?
Live sport on Paramount+
Live sport will be a feature as the platform remains the streaming home to Australian football. There will be live coverage of every game of the national football teams CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos, plus every game of the Men’s and Women’s A-League matches.
Plus all matches of AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 kicking-off in September, plus all Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas friendlies.
Home of the Star Trek franchise
As the proud streaming home to Star Trek, the universe expands in 2025 with Paramount+ welcoming the anticipated original movie Star Trek: Section 31 starring Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, who will reprise her fan-favourite role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou. Also joining the Star Trek collection is the all-new original series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which will follow the adventures of a new class of Starfleet cadets as they come of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy.
The new additions will round out Paramount+’s extensive Star Trek franchise library, which also includes all seasons of classic favourites Star Trek: The Original Series; Star Trek: The Next Generation; Paramount+ original series’ Star Trek: Discovery; Star Trek: Picard; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, plus the complete line-up of Star Trek films.
Next from Taylor Sheridan
Paramount+ is proud to host a collection of exclusive and original international series and the catalogue will be growing in 2025. From Academy Award nominee Taylor Sheridan comes the next instalment in the popular Yellowstone Universe – The Madison.
The new original series, starring Academy Award nominee Michelle Pfeiffer who also joins as executive producer, is a study of grief and human connection following a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana.
The Madison joins Paramount+’s signature collection of premium high-stakes drama sagas which includes 1923, 1883, Lioness, Mayor Of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Lawmen: Bass Reeves and the upcoming new drama series, Landman.
More international series and movies
Further complementing the 2025 international line-up will be new series from SHOWTIME’S Dexter franchise, Dexter: Resurrection, Paramount+ original series NCIS: Tony & Ziva and CBS original medical drama series Watson, Yellowjackets Season Three, 1923 Season Two and The Gilded Age Season Three.
For the young and the young at heart, dive into all your Nickelodeon family favourites. The pizza loving heroes are back for a fresh season of the original animated series Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and universally loved bilingual explorer,
Dora returns for more mystical adventures with the third season of hit preschool series Dora. 2025 will also present the new live action film Dora & The Search For Sol Dorado.
Look out too for new episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants. Plus, the service welcomes brand new animated series Super Duper Bunny League and new seasons of Transformers: EarthSpark and Rubble & Crew.
Paramount+ will be bringing a dose of uncensored adult comedy entertainment with the much-awaited Season 27 premiere of award-winning animated series South Park, with new exclusive events also set to rollout for the franchise.
New films arriving in 2025 include Smile 2, A Quiet Place: Day One, Gladiator II, IF, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and Transformers One.
See also:
• Paramount Upfront 2025: 10 kicking of the year with a Pang, + returning Big Brother and Your Gen
• Paramount innovates in advertising with expanded Contextual CTV Ads + new data proposition
• Paramount Australia announces Converged Advertising Technology – Paramount Connect
• Network 10 and Paramount+ commission BBC Studios for local version of comedy series Ghosts
• Paramount+ orders murder mystery, Playing Gracie Darling from Curio Pictures
Network 10 and Paramount+ commission BBC Studios for local version of comedy series Ghosts
Paramount Australia with BBC Studios Productions Australia, have announced that a new local adaptation of the British sitcom Ghosts, will be landing down under with Ghosts Australia coming to Network 10 and Paramount+ in 2025.
This eight-part family comedy series will be set in a haunted country house full of hilarious new ghosts who are as chaotic, unpredictable and messy as Australian history itself.
Ghosts Australia synopsis
New lovebirds Kate and Sean are about to jump into the hellscape that is the inner-city rental market, until Kate inherits a huge mansion in the country. Moving in together for the first time the young couple are attempting domestic bliss, but unbeknown to them, the house is haunted by a collection of needy spirits who carked it in Ramshead Manor over the last 200 years.
Optimistic go-getter Kate wants to revamp the manor into a boutique hotel, but loveable city boy Sean isn’t so sure, he isn’t built for country living. When a near-death experience gives Kate the power to see the ghosts, all their lives (and afterlives) will change forever.
As Kate and Sean navigate the milestones of a new relationship, building a business and dealing with the emotional needs of six neurotic ghosts, will their relationship survive or end up as dead as their new housemates?
Daniel Monaghan, SVP content and programming, Paramount Australia (pictured above) said: “Ghosts has been a smash hit in the UK and US and has also attracted a very loyal fanbase here in Australia. With a stellar cast yet to be announced, we can’t wait to bring to life our very own series with an Aussie twist.”
Kylie Washington, general manager and creative director, BBC Studios Productions Australia said: “Ghosts is one of those brilliant comedies which lends itself perfectly to localisation around the world, and we have our own, unique, Australian characters that reflect our very own history and culture. Our eclectic group of ghosts provide endless entertainment in this share-house comedy series that we hope Australian viewers will fall in love with.”
Kylie Washington
Production notes
Ghosts Australia is a BBC Studios Productions Australia production for Network 10 and Paramount+. Based on the original series Ghosts, produced by Monumental Television in association with Them There for BBC One. Distributed by BBC Studios.
A German version of Ghosts was recently announced adding to the international success of the format which first aired on the BBC in the UK. The fifth and final series of the original UK version was the most-watched comedy in 2023, with the finale watched by over 6 million people in seven days.
The US version is in production with its fourth season for CBS, which is produced by CBS Studios in association with Lionsgate Television and BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions and distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
US version of Ghosts from CBS
See also:
• Paramount Upfront 2025: 10 kicking of the year with a Pang, + returning Big Brother and Your Gen
• Paramount innovates in advertising with expanded Contextual CTV Ads + new data proposition
• Paramount Australia announces Converged Advertising Technology – Paramount Connect
• Paramount+ in 2025: Big stars, big drama, big live sport and a mountain of entertainment
• Paramount+ orders murder mystery, Playing Gracie Darling from Curio Pictures
Paramount+ orders murder mystery, Playing Gracie Darling from Curio Pictures
Paramount+ Australia, Screen Australia and Screen NSW have announced the commission of Paramount+ Original drama series, Playing Gracie Darling, a six-hour scripted drama produced by Curio Pictures. Sony Pictures Television is distributing the series internationally.
The series is created and written by Miranda Nation (Undertow) and directed by Jonathan Brough (Rosehaven, The End).
Playing Gracie Darling, stars Morgana O’Reilly (The White Lotus Season Three, Friends Like Me) playing Joni and features an ensemble cast including Rudi Dharmalingam (Wakefield, Great Expectations) playing Jay, Celia Pacquola (Rosehaven, Love Me) playing Ruth, Annie Maynard who plays Anita (Upper Middle Bogan, Colin From Accounts) and Anne Tenney (The Castle, A Country Practice) playing Moira, with more announcements to follow.
Playing Gracie Darling is executive produced by Curio’s Jo Porter and Rachel Gardner, Sophia Mogford for Paramount+ and Miranda Nation. Laura Nagy is on board as associate producer and additional scripts are written by Anya Beyersdorf (Fake).
Gracie Darling synopsis
When Joni was 14, her best friend Gracie Darling disappeared during a séance and hasn’t been seen since.
Twenty-seven years on, the local kids in a small town get their kicks with a game of ‘Playing Gracie Darling’ – but the seemingly innocent game turns sinister when another girl disappears.
Joni, now a child psychologist, returns to the town where her best friend Gracie mysteriously disappeared to confront her deep fear of the unknown and find out what really happened to Gracie that fateful night.
Local sergeant Jay will partner with Joni to uncover the truth, while Gracie’s sister Ruth faces a mother’s worst nightmare when her own daughter vanishes under hauntingly similar circumstances.
Moira, Ruth’s mother, clings to faith as she faces her own worst fears.
Actor Morgana O’Reilly, who plays Joni, said: “I’m beyond thrilled to be a part of this series. I devoured the scripts in one sitting. Joni is a complex, paradoxical woman haunted by ghosts of past and present. I’m especially drawn to the relationship between her and her teenage daughter.
“I know how triggering motherhood can be; when you think you have something well hidden, your kids know how to dig it up. So many skeletons. I can’t wait to get stuck into this character and her world.”
Jo Porter and Rachel Gardner, executive producers, Curio Pictures said: “Miranda Nation captured our imagination with her brilliant story ignited by the idea of a seance gone wrong.
Playing Gracie Darling is a unique genre mash of mystery thriller, family drama and coming of age, and this project has continued to draw people to its provocative and propulsive characters with universal themes at its heart.
“We couldn’t be prouder of the creative team that is forming around it, led by Miranda Nation and director Jonathan Brough and our brilliant cast.”
Grainne Brunsdon, Screen Australia COO, said: “Playing Gracie Darling offers a fresh take on the supernatural mystery genre that is sure to captivate audiences both in Australia and abroad. With a strong, award-winning team at Curio and compelling scripts from Miranda Nation and Anya Beyersdorf, this series promises to be a must-watch on Paramount+.”
Kyas Hepworth, head of Screen NSW, said: “Miranda Nation has expertly blended the supernatural, coming of age and crime thriller genres, and with executive producers Jo Porter and Rachel Gardner from Curio Pictures on board, Playing Gracie Darling is sure to be an engrossing and enthralling drama. I’m excited to welcome this project to NSW, with the series creating many fulltime jobs for local cast and crew in the state when it begins shooting in Sydney and regional areas.”
Daniel Monaghan, SVP content and programming, Paramount Australia said: “We are thrilled to bring audiences this premium female led crime thriller. Morgana O’Reilly is a star on the rise. We are so fortunate to have secured her for the lead role along with one of the most impressive ensemble casts this series could have hoped for.”
See also:
• Paramount Upfront 2025: 10 kicking of the year with a Pang, + returning Big Brother and Your Gen
• Paramount innovates in advertising with expanded Contextual CTV Ads + new data proposition
• Paramount Australia announces Converged Advertising Technology – Paramount Connect
• Network 10 and Paramount+ commission BBC Studios for local version of comedy series Ghosts
• Paramount+ in 2025: Big stars, big drama, big live sport and a mountain of entertainment
Mat Baxter quits Mutinex, board persuades him to stay connected as an advisor
Mat Baxter who is currently Mutinex APAC CEO will be transitioning to a board advisor effective from 30 September 2024.
Baxter joined Mutinex as APAC CEO in May this year. At the time, there was plenty of speculation about whether the two very strong personalities of co-founder Henry Innis and Baxter would be compatible. (Pictured above: Baxter and Innis)
“Going in I think we both knew this would be a grand experiment. What became apparent to me in the four months since joining is that there’s not enough space for Henry and I in the day-to-day business,” said Baxter.
“So I took the simple decision to resign, and the board had asked that I serve as an advisor,” said Baxter.
“Mat Baxter came to us and said he felt he could contribute more effectively as an external advisor than an internal CEO. We respect his decision and want to continue to get the benefit of his extensive global experience and advice,” said Mutinex chairman Brodie Arnold.
“I continue to be as big an advocate for the company today as ever. And I continue to be an investor and shareholder,” said Baxter.
“Mat and I are both extremely hands-on operators and I’m a very involved co-founder. I think he felt a little constrained because of that and so we’ve created this new plan to address it,” said Innis.
Mutinex continues its aggressive expansion into the US market. “The other advantage here is that we get to access Mat’s experience in the US market which wasn’t being directly accessed in his role as APAC CEO, so we’ll be tapping him up for help there too,” said Innis.
Mediaweek covered Mat Baxter joining Mutinex earlier this year
Alisha Buaya reported:
Mat Baxter is joining the marketing investment analytics company Mutinex as its APAC CEO, following the former Initiative and Huge boss’ return to Australia earlier this year.
“I did not want to fall back into a well-trodden track of doing the agency thing. I really made a point of that,” he told Mediaweek of deciding to join the disruptor led by Henry Innis. “I said publicly that I would not do anything that isn’t hyper-disruptive.
“This was the only thing I saw that was hyper-disruptive, that got me excited. When Henry showed me the product, I was like, fuck, I’m doing this 100%.”
See also: Mat Baxter joins Mutinex as APAC CEO: ‘Good luck to anybody else’
Mediaweek talks to Baxter and Henry Innis: (pictured above) “You don’t hire leaders like Mat Baxter unless you know you’re strapping in for a roller coaster ride of growth.”
Ad industry welcomes home Mat Baxter as he departs IPG after 14 years
Executive shakeup at Prime Video ANZ with new head for the streaming platform
Prime Video has shared news about the new organisational structure for the streaming platform in Australia and New Zealand.
In a statement about the new appointments, Prime Video noted the business had performed strongly over the past few years.
Recent data from Telsyte showed Prime Video grew customers to 4.8m in the past year, up 7% YOY.
See also: Telsyte SVOD report: Ad-supported tiers grow, Netflix still #1, Total subscriptions up 4% to 25.3m
The headline change is that Hwei Loke has stepped into the role of head of Prime Video Australia and New Zealand, reporting into Magda Grace who oversees the Canada, Australia and New Zealand operations as region director.
Loke has spent her 15-year career leading cross-functional marketing and creative teams to drive growth across some of the biggest global and local brands including The Walt Disney Company, SBS and Paramount (previously ViacomCBS). Loke joined the Prime’s Australian team in 2020.
Hushidar Kharas
Hushidar Kharas is moving from leading the Prime Video Australia & New Zealand team to take on a new role as head of Global Prime Video Brand and Social Strategy based in the US. Hushi established the business in Australia as employee #1 for Prime Video Australia & New Zealand in January 2019.
New head of marketplace for Prime Video ANZ
In addition to the above changes in Australia and New Zealand, Mark Shopiro will step into the role of head of Prime Video in Canada.
Dan Slepak will step into the newly created role of head of marketplace, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Both Shopiro and Slepak will be reporting into Magda Grace.
Mark Shopiro and Dan Slepak
Hwei Loke CV
As head of Prime Video Australia & New Zealand, Hwei Loke is in charge of Prime across both countries. Loke joined Prime Video in August 2020 and her new role encompasses customer growth and engagement, local marketing and portfolio management, live sports, and internal partnerships and sees her leading all Australian Amazon Originals releases, international Amazon Originals releases in regions, Amazon Exclusives, third party licensed content.
Loke’s role is to lead a customer-obsessed team, and ensure a curated offering for Australian and New Zealand Prime members.
With a passion for media and entertainment, Loke has spearheaded campaigns across APAC that have garnered industry recognition and have been dedicated to enhancing consumer awareness, consideration, conversion, engagement, and retention.
Prior to her role at Prime, Loke spent five years leading consumer marketing for Disney Media Networks in Southeast Asia managing all brand, creative, social media and communications for Disney Channels, Fox Sports, Fox Movies and National Geographic.
Bruce McAvaney back at the G: Broadcasting icon to supercharge 7AFL finals
A memorable 2024 AFL season is set for a spectacular finish, with legendary sports broadcaster Bruce McAvaney to return home to Seven’s AFL coverage for this weekend’s two preliminary finals and then the premiership decider on Saturday, 28 September.
McAvaney will join AFL football’s FTA commentary team in a key hosting role across the final epic three games of the season.
Bruce McAvaney said: “The 2024 season has turned out to be unpredictable and thrilling. To have the opportunity to be part of it is a privilege and I’m incredibly excited to be joining my colleagues in broadcasting the finals on Seven.”
Seven West Media managing director and chief executive officer, Jeff Howard, said: “Bruce is a living legend and the best sports broadcaster of our generation. He is part of the fabric of Seven and we are honoured that he is returning to our 7AFL coverage for the biggest three games of the season.
“After two remarkable semi-final matches this weekend, it’s hard to remember a more compelling finals race than 2024. The stage is set for a nail-biting finish and with Bruce alongside our commentary team, you know it’s must-watch TV.”
Bruce McAveney has joined 7AFL’s coverage of the finals series.
Where and when to see Bruce back at the footy
2024 AFL Finals Series – Preliminary Finals
• Sydney Swans v Port Adelaide
From 7.00pm AEST Friday on Channel 7 and 7mate
• Geelong Cats v Brisbane Lions
From 4.00pm AEST Saturday on Channel 7 and 7mate
On Grand Final day, viewers will be served more than 12 hours of coverage live and free on Channel 7 and exclusively on 7plus.
Coverage will start at 7.00am with the Weekend Sunrise AFL Grand Final Day Special and continuing non-stop until the Grand Final post-match presentations and celebrations wind up.
Footy fans can also tune in to the 2024 Brownlow Medal on Monday 23 September exclusively on Seven and 7plus.
See also: Seven’s new sports boss – Chris Jones details AFL, cricket plans and a whole lot more
ACM appoints Scott McCullough as commercial director of its Agri division
ACM managing director Tony Kendall has made three new senior appointments, including Scott McCullough as commercial director of its Agricultural news division.
In addition, Lupe Prada has been appointed head of marketing for ACM Agri, and Laura Allen has been appointed as research and insights manager for Chi Squared.
In the newly created role, McCullough will lead the commercial team working across ACM Agri media assets including key mastheads, marketplaces, events and digital.
Lupe Prada
McCullough brings more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience to ACM Agri, having led sales, strategy and commercial operations for publishers including AuctionsPlus, where he was the general manager for brand and commercial, and News Corp Rural where he was the general manager News Ag.
He has also held innovation and sales director roles at Pacific Magazines, SCA, and ARN. He is the founder of the Melbourne Media Industry Hall of Fame, which is now in its 15th year.
Under her head of marketing role, Prada will work across ACM Agri’s agricultural mastheads, while also leading marketing activity on marketplaces projects, joint venture businesses and events.
Laura Allen
Prada has worked with several brands in the media, marketplace and lifestyle sectors including Gumtree, CarsGuide, Nine Entertainment, NBCUniversal, as well as Fairfax Events & Life Media.
As research & insights manager, Allen will lead ACM’s agricultural and regional specialist research agency, Chi Squared, delivering a range of research services for clients.
Allen has more than 15 years’ experience as a quantitative and qualitative researcher, with positions at Australian and UK based research agencies. Laura joins ACM after six years at Crown Resorts where she was the group senior research manager.
ACM Agri Titles
Kendall said: “ACM Agri is Australia’s premier agricultural media business, and as such, we need industry experts and a depth of experience on our team who can lead, innovate and deliver for our advertising partners.
“Scott, Laura and Lupe’s appointments are part of our commitment to strengthening our commercial, sales, marketing and research divisions. The trio brings best-in-class experience to ACM Agri – I am confident their deep expertise will give advertisers even more opportunities to unlock our agricultural audience for their brands.”
ACM Agri is part of the broader ACM network, and includes titles such as The Land, Queensland Country Life, Stock & Land, Farm Weekly, Stock Journal, North Queensland Register, Farmonline, Farmbuy, AgTrader and Farmers Finance Australia.
All three appointments are effective immediately.
Sharyn Smith: How user-generated content can generate more bang for your marketing buck
By Sharyn Smith, CEO, Social Soup
The proliferation of social media platforms and the rise of short-form, low-production content means the volume of media content is exponentially increasing with each passing day. Brands are grappling with a fundamental challenge: the insatiable demand for content in an era of somewhat limited resources. At the same time, constrained advertising budgets mean clients are demanding more cost-effective and efficient solutions to meet their content needs. And Gen Z’s growing lack of trust in mainstream media and a search for less commercial content is adding to marketers’ changes.
In the current environment, user-generated content (UGC) really steps up to the plate.
UGC campaigns are on the rise due to their cost efficiencies, their authentic nature and their ability to resonate with audiences. They are also a great way to combat the creator economy wastage spawned by brands continuing to spend big on macro influencers solely for followers, when what they really need is content. Of course, UGC is not a new concept – it’s been around since the early days of social media – but it is really only shining now as a viable and effective alternative to paid social or influencer content.
Shopify has shown that ads featuring UGC are receiving four times greater click-through and a 50% reduction in cost-per-click compared to average ads online. We are seeing effective results from our own clients when it comes to UGC. For L’Occitane and Sukin, for example, the appeal of UGC lies in its ability to provide a diverse and dynamic content library that reflects the varied experiences and identities of each of their audiences. L’Occitane makes use of creator content for in-store point-of-sale marketing, while Sukin has integrated UGC into its organic social media content, preferring it over influencer-generated content as it resonates better with their target market.
Audiences are sick of picture perfect, flawless shots in social media. They want genuine experiences and the perspectives of real, genuine people. Sukin has actively involved UGC creators in the content creation process, allowing them to submit raw footage that can be tailored to align with the brand’s messaging and style. This fosters a stronger relationship between the brand and audience and builds trust. Trust, in turn, builds loyalty. According to TIDAL Digital, over 90% of marketers believe consumers trust content created by consumers more than they trust content created by brands.
One of the other main advantages to considering UGC for your next campaign is the cost-effectiveness. We have found that collaborating with UGC creators can be more affordable than partnering with influencers, making it accessible for brands of all sizes. UGC content creators typically have smaller followings than the average creator or macro influencer, but they maintain high quality standards to allow brands to tap into their engaged audiences and access the rights to their content. Many brands are partnering with UGC creators in an ongoing way, integrating product and services into their lives with content created to fuel the brands on social channels rather than paying high production costs or not having enough content.
With content more in demand than ever before, UGC creators are a clear opportunity to cut down on creator economy wastage and load up on content that enhances authenticity at a more efficient cost. Don’t look at UGC content as a replacement for social marketing, but an addition to the traditional marketing mix. It is a growing opportunity for brands to get back to meaningful, grassroots influence that drives outcomes without the ad wastage.
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Sharyn Smith is the founder and CEO of Social Soup, the largest influencer marketing business in Australia and New Zealand, working with many of the region’s best-known brands. She has over two decades of experience in influencer marketing and engages the latest technology to connect influential consumers with brands. In 2022, Social Soup was named the best large agency/business in the inaugural Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) Awards.
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Top image: Sharyn Smith
Programmatic DOOH adoption in Australia to increase over the year: VIOOH State of the Nation
The adoption rate of programmatic DOOH in media plans will increase from 27% to 35% over the next 18 months, aligning with global forecasts, according to the new research from VIOOH into the programmatic DOOH (prDOOH) market.
The VIOOH State of the Nation Programmatic DOOH 2024 report noted that Australian marketers are doubling down on prDOOH advertising, with investments projected to increase by an average of 28% over the next 18 months.
Further reinforcing this, there is a significant 12 ppt YoY rise in marketers planning to allocate new budgets specifically for prDOOH campaigns (27%), with 38% coming from other digital channels.
The report noted that direct-only DOOH buys were used by 45% of respondents (+11 ppt YoY), while programmatic-only buys reached 47% (+12 ppt YoY). Hybrid buys were at 41% (+9 ppt YoY), demonstrating a growing preference for the flexibility and adaptability of programmatic buying methods.
Demand-side platforms (DSPs) managed services saw an uptick of 25 ppt YoY, adopted by 44% of marketers in 2024. The use of in-house teams rose from 9% to 27% (+17 ppt YoY), highlighting a growing preference for direct, internal management of prDOOH campaigns and alignment with other programmatic channels within a multi-channel strategy.
Dynamism and creative flexibility
prDOOH ranks as a top channel for securing the top spot for performance-led campaigns (92%) and for brand-led campaigns (86%), only slightly behind social media (88%).
Most respondents (92%) now see prDOOH as delivering the most innovative opportunities of all advertising channels (+12 ppt YoY).
Almost three quarters (71%) of Australian marketers believe prDOOH advertising offers the most precise location targeting compared to any other channel. This is notably higher in Australia than in any other market, exceeding the global average of 60%.
Trigger-based buying capabilities, such as responding to events, news or promotions, were the most influential factor for 69% of marketers in determining their investment. This is an increase of 16 ppt YoY, underscoring the growing importance of contextually relevant advertising in the Australian market.
Many Australian marketers leverage prDOOH for its unparalleled dynamism and creative flexibility, with 65% identifying it as the leading channel for dynamic creative opportunities.
Most (95%) of those surveyed are embracing Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO), either through consideration, pilot programmes or active integration. This aligns with the global average, reflecting a widespread recognition of DCO’s benefits, including enhanced creative agility and optimised ad spend.
“Maximising efficiency and minimising wastage”
Sustainability is a major consideration for Australian advertisers when planning and buying media, with 65% ranking it among the top attributes prDOOH delivers against (compared to 62% globally).
Marketers in Australia particularly favour prDOOH for its efficiency and sustainability credentials, recognising its eco-efficient reach as prDOOH is only activated when a relevant audience is present or predefined trigger criteria are met, maximising efficiency compared to DOOH and traditional OOH (65% prDOOH vs. 57% DOOH vs. 51% OOH).
“In Australia, marketers are drawn to the flexibility, audience relevance, optimised ad revenue potential and sustainability credentials of prDOOH,” said Jean-Christophe Conti, chief executive officer at VIOOH.
“They’re leveraging its advanced targeting capabilities to deliver highly relevant and dynamic ads across the market, maximising efficiency and minimising wastage.
“We expect the widespread adoption of prDOOH to accelerate across the Australian market – and we’re looking forward to continuing to drive the evolution of DOOH towards a programmatic, more integrated future in the media landscape.”
Rebecca Tos promoted to managing partner of consumer science and analytics at Havas Media Network
Rebecca Tos has been promoted as Havas Media Network’s managing partner ANZ of consumer science and analytics (CSA), the global data and technology consultancy of the network now launching in the ANZ market.
CSA is dedicated to helping clients understand and meaningfully activate customer data to optimise growth.
Tos previously led Havas Media Market, now led by national head of partnerships and adtech, Kevin Fernandes. In her elevated role, she will remain on the Havas Media Leadership team.
She takes on the expanded role across Australia and New Zealand, where Havas acquired Catchi in 2018. She will lead CSA’s launch in the ANZ market and spearhead supporting marketers to deliver high-value business solutions. The integrated trans-Tasman team will deliver data science, data and tech consultancy solutions.
Since its launch in June 2023, the CSA offering has expanded into 12 countries, encompassing over 400+ data scientists and engineers and implementing over 450 projects.
With over 40 years of history in France, Havas Media Network scaled CSA globally to comprehensively service clients’ consultation, technology, and data science needs. Leveraging a deep understanding of clients’ business challenges and a depth of data and expertise across the globe, CSA has become an invaluable partner in developing a holistic view of marketing performance, servicing more than 300 clients around the world.
Virginia Hyland, CEO Havas Media Network, welcomed Tos’ appointment, calling her a: “rare talent within our industry with a sharp focused mind that can unpack and develop business solutions for clients with compelling results.”
“Rebecca has successfully led and grown businesses in her previous roles of managing director, Merkle and CEO of Columbus. She more recently served in key Advisor roles to data and tech businesses across APAC.
“She will play a pivotal role working with our Havas Village agencies and our clients to support our continued global focus creating better ways to unlock insights and improve consumer experiences when engaging with companies, building data homes that connect audience movements and activate campaigns.”
“Marketers challenge to simplify the complicated has never been greater particularly when budgets are tight, and their teams are stretched. They desire to work with partners who can unpack their problems and deliver an integrated seamless working model to provide new growth areas. Rebecca will play a key role in leaning into our clients’ businesses in a true partnership extension.”
Tos said of her appointment: “Being a data native myself, working with a team who thrive on solving problems with data and technology each day, is a very rewarding space to be.
“Our partners truly value how we think and operate in their ecosystem, which at times is unique, complex and challenging. I’m particularly excited about the significant global investment we’re making to accelerate our capability even faster and being a part of that story.”
News of Tos’ appointment comes after the recent promotion of Alastair Baker to chief planning officer locally, appointment of Mitchell Long to chief strategy officer and the Havas Media acquisition of Hotglue.
See also: Havas Media acquires indie agency Hotglue
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Top image: Rebecca Tos
Katrina Stratton and Siddharth Bhakay join AdUnion as agency retains More and Tangerine Telecom
AdUnion has welcomed the appointments of Katrina Stratton and Siddharth Bhakay to its leadership team following significant growth and the retention of challenger brands, More and Tangerine Telecom.
Stratton joins the independent full-service media agency as head of client services and investment and will deepen the agency’s media strategy offering alongside Bhakay.
Bhakay steps into the role of head of digital and will work closely with the team from partner business AdMatch to build efficiency and effectiveness across all streaming media channels.
Stratton comes to AdUnion with more than 20 years of experience with media agencies and media owners, most recently as group business director at Zenith, working with clients across various verticals, including retail, FMCG, automotive, and financial services.
Prior to this, she was the group sales director for News Corp and the group business director for UM, leading campaigns for Target, Australia Post, Origin Energy, Stockland and AIA Australia.
Bhakay brings nearly 15 years of experience as a digital advertising specialist to AdUnion, having worked with some of the nation’s biggest brands, including Menulog, Coles, Dan Murphy’s, Qantas and ING Bank. He joins AdUnion from Nunn Media, where he was a digital account manager, and has also worked with Matterkind, Blis and mobile wallet app Stocard.
Both appointments follow a strong growth period for AdUnion, which includes the multi-year contract extension of national telco brands, More and Tangerine Telecom. The agency will be responsible for advertising strategy and media planning and buying across broadcast, streaming, audio and out-of-home for both brands.
Rick van Emmerik, chief marketing officer, More Telecom and Tangerine, said: “We retained the team at AdUnion to provide integrated media strategy and execution for the Tangerine Brand launch campaign in 2023. Since then we have been constantly impressed by the level of engagement, over delivery on expectations and contribution to our rapid growth. We have now committed to a long term contract and are expanding their remit into more areas than originally planned.”
AdUnion managing director, Robert Ong, said: “Sid and Katrina’s appointments demonstrate our commitment to investing in experience and capability across all media channels, and continually building out our leadership team to support our clients’ ambitious growth targets.
“Sid brings a wealth of knowledge around digital and streaming media to further elevate AdUnion as a leader in this space, while Katrina has deep experience in integrated marketing strategy and a keenly developed client-centric approach – we’re excited about her contribution to client outcomes across our portfolio.
“Sid and Katrina join the team during a substantial growth period for AdUnion, as we continue to deliver for our clients. We are particularly delighted to have retained the key telco challenger brands More and Tangerine, as innovative, Australian-owned, high-growth, mobile and internet providers. As an independent media agency, we’re proud of our sustained expansion and growth, particularly in light of the decline in consumer and advertising spending; it shows the strength of both the AdUnion offering and the broader indie sector.”
Meanwhile Stratton said: “I’m delighted to join the AdUnion team during this exciting growth phase for the agency. The commitment to deploying an integrated media strategy approach across all channels and delivering meaningful campaigns have helped AdUnion to build long-standing client relationships. I look forward to continuing these partnerships, while also working to build our client stable.”
Bhakay said of his appointment: “AdUnion’s unique attribution platform makes it an attractive proposition for any streaming media specialist. Having spent my career working across the digital space, I’m excited to join an agency that is leading the way in streaming media, and is committed to use efficient, effective data and technology to drive results.”
–
Top image: Katrina Stratton and Siddharth Bhakay
Audible gets intimate for season two of Sex Therapy: Sessions with Chantelle Otten via Emotive
Audible has announced immersive brand experiences in Sydney and Melbourne to celebrate the launch of season two of the Original series, Sex Therapy: Sessions with Chantelle Otten – Unlocking Intimacy.
Independent creative agency Emotive has crafted a unique experience featuring the podcast’s host and sex therapist, Chantelle Otten.
Attendees who secure a spot at one of the exclusive Intimacy, Served soirées will embark on a journey of self-discovery, where candid discussions about sex and intimacy are literally on the table.
Teaming up with White Horse in Sydney and Chancery Lane in Melbourne, dinner guests will not only be served delicious food and drink but also provocative questions inspired by Otten’s real conversations with anonymised patients in the podcast.
These conversation starters are woven into the experience through audio, tableware and even in the food itself. Otten’s therapy sessions also inspired the creation of a deck of conversation cards, to be gifted to event attendees, to help them unlock a new level of intimacy at home.
The game contains questions including ‘is monogamy enough?’ and ‘do you prioritise your own pleasure with a partner?’
Otten said: “I’m thrilled to be inviting guests to my Intimacy, Served dining experience with Audible, to connect in real life and soak up an evening that will help guests discover the ingredients to unlocking intimacy for themselves, and with others.”
“Audible is deeply passionate about creating exceptional listening experiences that provoke, educate and entertain,” Karen Appathurai Wiggins, head of regional content, APAC, Audible said.
“We’re thrilled to work with Chantelle again to reveal real-life stories about sex, intimacy, vulnerability and connection, for a voracious and engaged global listening audience.”
Pia McMorran, business director at Emotive, said: “At Emotive, our purpose day in and day out is to deliver ideas that change how people feel and Intimacy, Served is a perfect example of this.
“This immersive dining experience is all about making the person who walks out not the same person as the one who walked in. And beyond that, the event provides a wonderful way to drive consideration to the masses for the second season of Sex Therapy.”
These events are part of an integrated fame campaign to help the nation unlock intimacy, utilising influencers, social, digital, editorial and audio channels to amplify the important message of the podcast. The launch of Sex Therapy: Sessions with Chantelle Otten – Unlocking Intimacy was supported by paid media and content partnerships via Wavemaker.
Credits:
Client: Audible
Creative and Production: Emotive
Blundstones unveils its WELL WORN global platform via Thinkerbell
Blundstones has unveiled its global platform, WELL WORN, via Thinkerbell.
The brand film and design, shot by Hotel Bell and directed by Michael Mouritz, launches the Australian boot brand’s new platform to over 30 countries around the world.
To celebrate its global community of loyalists who’ve made the brand what it is today, the WELL WORN platform highlights a group of diverse Blundstone wearers from five countries, telling the stories of what they’ve achieved in their boots and the ingrained worth that every step has brought to them.
“The Well Worn platform perfectly captures the bond people develop with their Blundstone boots. The more you wear them, the more they reflect the life you live, and they only get better over time,” Nik Jackson, chief brand officer of Blundstone, said.
“There’s a universal commonality to Blundstones, they’re worn by interesting people who do interesting things, the world over,” Tom Wenborn, Thinkerbell’s chief creative tinker, said.
“Whether you’re in Portugal, South Korea, Canada, Italy or Australia, it’s how you wear these boots that defines them, and you in turn. Well Worn, just like the boots, is a simple platform that anyone, anywhere, can pull on.”
The work will launch to global markets across Digital, Online, OOH, Print and Social from September.
Last week, Repco revealed its fourth ‘Bringin’ the Bathurst’ campaign work with Thinkerbell.
The new Repco work from the agency sees racing fans making the pilgrimage to the Temple of Bathurst to have the Bathurst brought into their lives through its almighty power.
It features the return of the owner of Peter Brock’s powerful glove as the ‘Revvvrend’, bringing the Bathurst to all who flock to the iconic Mount Panorama.
The earworm of a track was developed by the team at Electric Sheep Music and spot-directed and produced by Josh Logue and TAXI.
See also: Thinkerbell and Repco put pedal to the metal for the fourth Bringin’ the Bathurst campaign
Credits:
Creative agency: Thinkerbell
Client: Blundstone
Production: Hotel Bell
Director: Michael Mouritz
Editors: Raffael Oliveri & Jon Holmes
Ogilvy dominates at the 2024 APAC Effies with its Matildas 'Til It's Done' campaign
Ogilvy Melbourne has won big at the APAC Effies with its Til It’s Done campaign with Football Australia and the Matildas, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore on Friday.
The agency took home three golds, one silver, and the Grand Effie. The campaign with Football Australia boosted support for The Matildas amid a lull in interest in the sport by showcasing the team’s grit and tenacity in making their mark at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Ogilvy claimed Agency of the Year for the first time at the awards. It has also held on to the top honour Agency Network of the Year for the sixth year running, with six golds, seven silvers, and 14 bronzes from the evening coming from it’s offices in Australia, China, India, Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea.
Football Australia and The Matildas walked away with Brand of the Year and Marketer of the Year, respectively, for their success in the Til It’s Done campaign.
According to the Effie Awards, this is the first time a sports-based brand and marketer has appeared in the special awards.
Sally Kissane, Ogilvy Network ANZ CEO, said: “While it’s an incredible achievement to win a coveted Effie, and in particular the most elusive of all – a Grand Effie – we’re also celebrating the industry recognition that great creativity is effectiveness.
“Til It’s Done shook up the sports category, changed behaviours and solved a human problem by using empowering messages that we knew would stick. That’s what creativity can do.
“And we’re proud of the team that developed this culture-shifting work, but the partnership with our client Football Australia.
“The fact that they also walked away with two awards – the first time a sports brand and marketer has won at APAC Effies – also speaks volumes about the power of collaboration.”
“As a die-hard football fan and dad of a mini-Matilda to be, getting to work on this campaign was a dream come true,” Paul Arena, Ogilvy Melbourne head of strategy, said.
“We always expected matches at the first FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia would be well attended. The real challenge was to leverage that opportunity for lasting change. Seeing the Matildas go from half empty stadiums to 13 consecutive, sell -out home matches after the World Cup was pretty special.
“The ultimate knock-on effect of unlocking hundreds of millions of dollars in additional government funding for women’s sport being the cherry on the icing of the whole football-themed cake. Being able to say we played a small part in making it easier for girls to play football, for either fun or fame, has been the highlight of my career.”
Box Office: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice keeps #1 with $7.1m total gross to date
TOP 5
1. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – $2,424,054 (1)
Warner Bros. Beetlejuice sequel has been 36 years in the making and most of the original cast is back reprising their wacky roles, including director Tim Burton. Rising star Jenna Ortega is also in the film, coming off the back of her wildly successful role as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix Original Series, Wednesday. Coming in first place this week, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice took $2,424,054 in its second week, averaging $4,848 over 500 screens.
Total Australian Box Office gross to date: $7,133,648
Synopsis: Three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life soon gets turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter discovers a mysterious portal to the afterlife. When someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times, the mischievous demon gleefully returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.
2. Deadpool & Wolverine – $831,569 (2)
Walt Disney’s Deadpool & Wolverine continues to perform exceedingly well, hitting over $1 billion in box office gross globally. This is the Merc with the Mouth’s first appearance in the MCU, which is now possible due to Disney buying Twentieth Century Fox in 2019. Aussie Hugh Jackman also returns as Wolverine. The film now has the eighth-biggest opening weekend of all time globally. Coming in second place this week, Deadpool & Wolverine took $831,569 in its eighth week, averaging $2,583 over 322 screens.
Total Australian Box Office gross to date: $64,548,220
Synopsis: Deadpool’s peaceful existence comes crashing down when the Time Variance Authority recruits him to help safeguard the multiverse. He soon unites with his would-be pal, Wolverine, to complete the mission and save his world from an existential threat.
3. Speak No Evil – $958,901 (debut)
Coming in third place this week, Speak No Evil took $958,901 in its first week, averaging $2,486 over 285 screens.
Synopsis: A dream holiday turns into a living nightmare when an American couple and their daughter spend the weekend at a British family’s idyllic country estate.
4. It Ends With Us – $483,435 (4)
Sony’s It Ends With Us is based on the bestseller of the same name, written by Colleen Hoover. Boasting a massive debut, a sequel, is assumingly all but confirmed. It will also assumingly be based on the book ‘It Starts With Us’. Coming in fourth place this week, It Ends With Us took $483,435 in its sixth week, averaging $1,501 over 322 screens.
Total Australian Box Office gross to date: $21,772,226
Synopsis: Lily Bloom moves to Boston to chase her lifelong dream of opening her own business. A chance meeting with charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid soon sparks an intense connection, but as the two fall deeply in love, she begins to see sides of Ryle that remind her of her parents’ relationship. When Lily’s first love, Atlas Corrigan, suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with Ryle gets upended, leaving her with an impossible choice.
5. Ardaas Sarbat De Bhalle Di – $393,918 (debut)
Coming in fifth place this week, Ardaas Sarbat De Bhalle Di took $393,918 in its first week, averaging $5,116 over 77 screens.
Synopsis: Gurmukh Singh and diverse individuals embark on a pilgrimage to Sri Hazur Sahib, and during their bus journey, their personal prayers become a shared Ardaas.
Top 6 – 10
6. Harold and the Purple Crayon
7. Alien: Romulus
8. Thelma
9. ARM Ajayante Randam Moshanam
10. Blink Twice
76th Emmy Awards: Complete winners list plus charts of multiple Emmy winners
The Television Academy has celebrated the 76th Emmy Awards, recognising excellence in television programming and individual achievement for the 2023-2024 US television season.
The 76th Emmy Awards was broadcast live from the Peacock Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on Foxtel. It was hosted by Eugene Levy and Dan Levy and executive produced by Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
2024 Emmy Awards Presenters
The telecast featured awards in 25 Emmy categories, plus the Governor’s Award, presented by top talent from some of television’s most acclaimed programs. Presenters included Christine Baranski, Kathy Bates, Meredith Baxter, Candice Bergen, Gael Garcia Bernal, Matt Bomer, Zach Braff, Connie Britton, Nicola Coughlan, Billy Crystal, Viola Davis, Giancarlo Esposito, Colin Farrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lily Gladstone, Selena Gomez, Dulé Hill, Ron Howard, Brendan Hunt, Joshua Jackson, Allison Janney, Don Johnson, Mindy Kaling, Jimmy Kimmel, Padma Lakshmi, Greta Lee, John Leguizamo, George Lopez, Diego Luna, Jane Lynch, Steve Martin, Nava Mau, Rob McElhenney, Reba McEntire, Janel Moloney, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Seth Meyers, Niecy Nash-Betts, Catherine O’Hara, Kaitlin Olson, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Melissa Peterman, Mekhi Phifer, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Sam Richardson, Maya Rudolph, Richard Schiff, Martin Sheen, Martin Short, Jean Smart, Jimmy Smits, Antony Starr, Gina Torres, Susan Kelechi Watson, Damon Wayans, Kristen Wiig, Henry Winkler, Bowen Yang and Steven Yeun.
American singer/songwriter Jelly Roll performed “I Am Not Okay” for the “In Memoriam” segment of the show. Olympians Caeleb Dressel, Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik made special appearances along with two-time Paralympian Ezra Frech.
Additionally, Emmys were awarded in 99 other categories at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards during two ceremonies on the weekend of Saturday, Sept. 7, and Sunday, Sept. 8. For more information, please visit Emmys.com.
The Bear
PROGRAMS WITH MULTIPLE AWARDS
(COMBINED CREATIVE ARTS AND TELECAST)
Shōgun 18
The Bear 11
Baby Reindeer 6
Saturday Night Live 6
Jim Henson Idea Man 5
Blue Eye Samurai 4
The Oscars 4
Ripley 4
Billy Joel: The 100th – Live At Madison Square Garden 3
The Crown 3
Hacks 3
The Morning Show 3
Only Murders In The Building 3
Welcome To Wrexham 3
The Daily Show 2
Girls State 2
How I Met Your Father 2
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver 2
Love On The Spectrum 2
Mr. & Mrs. Smith 2
The Traitors 2
INDIVIDUALS WITH MULTIPLE AWARDS
(COMBINED CREATIVE ARTS AND TELECAST)
Name/Count/Credits
Gadd, Richard 3 Actor, Executive Producer, Writer
Aniello, Lucia 2 Executive Producer, Writer
Carvell, Tim 2 Executive Producer, Writer
Cumming, Alan 2 Host, Producer
Downs, Paul W. 2 Executive Producer, Writer
Drisko, Josh 2 Editor, Executive Producer
Erbeck, Daniel 2 Camera
Giammaria, Steve “Major” 2 MPSE, Co-Supervisor Sound Editor, Re-Recording Mixer
Katz, Deena 2 Co-Executive Producer, Executive Producer
O’Clery, Cian 2 Casting by, Director
Oliver, John 2 Executive Producer, Host, Writer
Rowland, Bryan 2 Editor, Executive Producer
Sanada, Hiroyuki 2 Actor, Producer
Statsky, Jen 2 Executive Producer, Writer
Wilkes, Justin 2 Executive Producer, Producer
Richard Gadd
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
EBON MOSS-BACHRACH as Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Disney+)
The Bear
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
BILLY CRUDUP As Cory Ellison (AppleTV+)
The Morning Show
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
JEREMY ALLEN WHITE as Carmy (Disney+)
The Bear
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
LIZA COLÓN-ZAYAS as Tina (Disney+)
The Bear
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
ELIZABETH DEBICKI as Princess Diana (Netflix)
The Crown
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
JEAN SMART as Deborah Vance (Stan)
Hacks
OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
THE TRAITORS
Mike Cotton, Executive Producer
Toni Ireland, Executive Producer
Sam Rees-Jones, Executive Producer
Stephen Lambert, Executive Producer
Jack Burgess, Executive Producer
Tim Harcourt, Executive Producer
Ben Cook, Co-Executive Producer
Joe Evans, Co-Executive Producer
Laura Gallen, Co-Executive Producer
Chris Mannion, Co-Executive Producer
Emma Carroll, Co-Executive Producer
Deena Katz, Co-Executive Producer
Zoe Duerden, Supervising Producer
Alan Cumming, Producer
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
JESSICA GUNNING as Martha
Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING SCRIPTED VARIETY SERIES
LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER
John Oliver, Executive Producer/Host
Tim Carvell, Executive Producer
Liz Stanton, Executive Producer
Jeremy Tchaban, Co-Executive Producer
Catherine Owens, Supervising Producer
Whit Conway, Producer
Kaye Foley, Producer
Laura L. Griffin, Producer
Christopher McDaniel, Producer
Kate Mullaney, Producer
Matt Passet, Producer
Megan Peck Shub, Producer
Wynn Van Dusen, Producer
Marian Wang, Producer
Charles Wilson, Producer
Rebecca Etchberger, Producer
Nicole Franza, Line Producer
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
ALEX EDELMAN, Written by Alex Edelman: Just For Us
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
STEVEN ZAILLIAN, Directed by
Ripley (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
LUCIA ANIELLO, Written by
PAUL W. DOWNS, Written by
JEN STATSKY, Written by
Hacks (Stan)
OUTSTANDING TALK SERIES
THE DAILY SHOW
Jon Stewart, Executive Producer/Host
Jennifer Flanz, Executive Producer
James “Baby Doll” Dixon, Executive Producer
Ramin Hedayati, Co-Executive Producer
Justin Melkmann, Co-Executive Producer
Zhubin Parang, Co-Executive Producer
Ian Berger, Supervising Producer
Max Browning, Supervising Producer
Pamela DePace, Supervising Producer
David Kibuuka, Supervising Producer
David Paul Meyer, Supervising Producer
Elise Terrell, Supervising Producer
Sushil Dayal, Supervising Producer
Dan Amira, Producer
Jocelyn Conn, Producer
Jeff Gussow, Producer
Brittany Radocha, Producer
Shawna Shepherd, Producer
Beth Shorr, Producer
Ronny Chieng, Host
Jordan Klepper, Host
Michael Kosta, Host
Desi Lydic, Host
Dulcé Sloan, Host
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
LAMORNE MORRIS as North Dakota Deputy Witt Farr
Fargo
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
WILL SMITH, Written by
Slow Horses (AppleTV+)
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
RICHARD GADD, Written by
Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
CHRISTOPHER STORER, Directed by
The Bear (Disney+)
GOVERNORS AWARD
GREG BERLANTI
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
FREDERICK E.O. TOYE, Directed by
Shōgun (Disney+)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
RICHARD GADD as Donny
Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
JODIE FOSTER as Detective Elizabeth Danvers
True Detective: Night Country (Binge/Foxtel)
Jodie Foster
OUTSTANDING LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES
BABY REINDEER (Netflix)
Richard Gadd, Executive Producer
Wim De Greef, Executive Producer
Petra Fried, Executive Producer
Matt Jarvis, Executive Producer
Ed Macdonald, Executive Producer
Matthew Mulot, Producer
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
HIROYUKI SANADA as Yoshii Toranaga
Shōgun (Disney+)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
ANNA SAWAI as Toda Mariko
Shōgun (Disney+)
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
SHŌGUN (Disney+)
Justin Marks, Executive Producer
Michaela Clavell, Executive Producer
Edward L. McDonnell, Executive Producer
Michael De Luca, Executive Producer
Rachel Kondo, Executive Producer
Shannon Goss, Co-Executive Producer
Jamie Vega Wheeler, Co-Executive Producer
Hiroyuki Sanada, Producer
Eriko Miyagawa, Producer
Erin Smith, Produced by
Matt Lambert, Consulting Producer
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
HACKS (Stan)
Jen Statsky, Executive Producer
Paul W. Downs, Executive Producer
Lucia Aniello, Executive Producer
Michael Schur, Executive Producer
David Miner, Executive Producer
Morgan Sackett, Executive Producer
Guy Branum, Co-Executive Producer
Andrew Law, Co-Executive Producer
Carol Leifer, Co-Executive Producer
Joe Mande, Co-Executive Producer
Aisha Muharrar, Co-Executive Producer
Samantha Riley, Supervising Producer
Ashley Glazier, Producer
Nate Young, Produced by
TV Ratings 15 September 2024: The Block wins Sunday with 2.4m reach
Sunday 15 September 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach
6pm News TV Ratings
9News recorded a total TV national reach of 2,400,000, a total TV national audience of 1,456,000, and a BVOD audience of 126,000.
Seven News recorded a total TV national reach of 2,180,000, a total TV national audience of 1,298,000, and a BVOD audience of 58,000.
Early Evening TV Ratings
Nine’s The Block recorded a total TV national reach of 2,446,000, a total TV national audience of 1,343,000, and a BVOD audience of 198,000.
Seven’s The Voice recorded a total TV national reach of 2,230,000, a total TV national audience of 1,002,000, and a BVOD audience of 86,000.
ABC’s Return to Paradise recorded a total TV national reach of 1,213,000, a total TV national audience of 799,000, and a BVOD audience of 63,000.
10’s airing of The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition recorded a total TV national reach of 1,080,000, a total TV national audience of 534,000, and a BVOD audience of 34,000.
Mid-Evening TV Ratings
Nine’s 60 Minutes recorded a total TV national reach of 1,836,000, a total TV national audience of 711,000, and a BVOD audience of 70,000.
Seven’s Spotlight recorded a total TV national reach of 1,175,000, a total TV national audience of 535,000, and a BVOD audience of 30,000.
People 25-54
Nine’s The Block:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,006,000
• National Audience: 604,000
• BVOD Audience: 122,000
10’s The Amazing Race:
• Total TV nation reach: 458,000
• National Audience: 238,000
• BVOD Audience: 19,000
Seven’s The Voice:
• Total TV nation reach: 622,000
• National Audience: 277,000
• BVOD Audience: 46,000
People 16-39
Nine’s The Block:
• Total TV nation reach: 486,000
• National Audience: 292,000
• BVOD Audience: 71,000
10’s The Amazing Race:
• Total TV nation reach: 178,000
• National Audience: 97,000
• BVOD Audience: 10,000
Seven’s The Voice:
• Total TV nation reach: 226,000
• National Audience: 91,000
• BVOD Audience: 23,000
Grocery Shoppers 18+
Nine’s The Block:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,858,000
• National Audience: 1,037,000
• BVOD Audience: 158,000
10’s The Amazing Race:
• Total TV nation reach: 818,000
• National Audience: 402,000
• BVOD Audience: 28,000
Seven’s The Voice:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,732,000
• National Audience: 796,000
• BVOD Audience: 69,000
Data © OzTAM and Regional TAM 2024. Not to be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without prior written consent of OzTAM and Regional TAM.
Business of Media
Anthony Albanese’s social media ban facing delays, as tech giants push back
Amid divisions in Labor ranks over the optimal age of children who would be banned from social media, the government is not expected to finalise its decision until late this year at the earliest following technology trials and sign-off from state and territory leaders.
The recalcitrance from tech giants including Meta, which has raised doubts over the social media ban, comes as children consume or share content on Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, gaming sites and encrypted messaging apps.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland told The Australian: “There has been an active public discussion about what should be the appropriate minimum age for access to social media, with approaches typically ranging from 14 to 16 years.
Heston Russell demands meeting with Kim Williams amid doctored footage allegations
The former November platoon commander has also said journalists behind the story that contained the offending footage should be held accountable, despite the ABC saying Jo Puccini, Mark Willacy and Josh Robertson had “no role in the production and editing of the online video”.
The ABC has launched an investigation into how the incident occurred, after Seven’s flagship investigations program Spotlight claimed that audio accompanying a video for an ABC report of a November platoon soldier in 2012 firing shots from a helicopter at Afghan civilians included the sound of six shots rather than one.
‘Megaphone of the left’: Backlash against ABC fake news
Maurice Newman, who chaired the ABC from 2007 to 2012, described the revelation as ‘shocking’.
“What the latest revelation confirms is what many have been saying for a very long time,” Newman said.
“The ABC is a self-serving collective, which doesn’t let the truth stand in the way of a good story.
“(It) has become the shameless megaphone of the Left and operates in defiance of its act, its charter, its editorial policies and the interests of a cohesive society.”
The future of the Murdoch empire comes down to a court in Nevada
There, the most powerful person in the room will be not the builder of that empire – K. Rupert Murdoch, a man who has made and broken leaders around the globe – but a mild-mannered county probate commissioner, Edmund Gorman Jr, who does much of his work without fanfare in his high desert city.
And next week, barring an unexpected last-minute settlement, it is Gorman who, after five days of testimony from Murdoch and his four eldest children in his hearing room, will recommend whether Murdoch should be granted his wish: to guarantee that his elder son, Lachlan, gains full control over the media dynasty after he dies.
High-profile BBC newsreader avoids jail over indecent images of children
Huw Edwards, who was paid up to £479,000 ($937,817) a year by the BBC, resigned from the public broadcaster earlier this year following a scandal over claims that he paid a teenager for explicit pictures. He was charged in June, and the following month admitted three charges of making indecent images of children.
A judge at Westminster magistrates’ court said Edwards’s long-earned reputation was “in tatters” as he handed him a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. Edwards, who was said to have a “low risk” of re-offending, must undergo a 40-day sexual harm treatment program and 25 days’ rehabilitation.
Andrew O’Keefe charged after overdose in Sydney’s eastern suburbs
O’Keefe was treated by paramedics in the early hours of Saturday morning after overdosing at a home in Vaucluse. Emergency services, responding to a neighbour’s concern-for-welfare report, took the 52-year-old to St Vincent’s Hospital, where he was treated and later discharged.
When O’Keefe reported to meet previous bail conditions at Rose Bay Police Station on Monday afternoon – just over two days after his overdose – officers arrested him and allegedly found prohibited drugs in his nearby car.
Television
There’s no place like Rome! Emily in Paris is renewed for Season 5
“We’re thrilled with the incredible response to this season of Emily in Paris and excited to return for a fifth to continue Emily’s adventures in Rome and Paris!” creator Darren Star tells Tudum.
Season 4 of the series saw the ex-pat spark up a romance with a handsome Italian fashion scion and then move into an Italian apartment to open a Rome office for Agence Grateau. But that doesn’t mean the name of the show is changing. “Emily’s going to have a presence in Rome,” says Star. “It doesn’t mean she’s not going to be in Paris, but she’s going to have a presence in Rome.”
Sending Emily to Italy to open up a new office was borne out of Star’s desire to “stay ahead of the audience and take them to unexpected places,” and prove “the show has the ability to have a bigger footprint.”
Sports Media
Bruce McAvaney makes return to AFL coverage via hosting role on Channel 7
McAvaney will join Channel 7’s team including James Brayshaw, Luke Darcy and Abbey Holmes in a key hosting role for the blockbuster preliminary finals on Friday and Saturday as well as the 2024 AFL grand final on Saturday week.
It’s the first time the 71-year-old has been a part of the network’s football coverage since he called his final AFL match in the historic 2020 Richmond-Geelong grand final at the Gabba.
He won’t be calling the last three games of what has been an extraordinary season, but will take on a hosting role as part of Channel 7’s enhanced and expanded coverage across the next fortnight.
Tim Watson (briefly) addressed his future as 7News Melbourne sport presenter
The radio hosts also discussed the return of Bruce McAvaney to Seven’s AFL coverage.
Watson said that Seven is making a few changes, When Lyon admitted surprise at the return of McAvaney, Watson said he should stand by for news that Dennis Cometti might be coming back too.