Seven delivered a slate of new announcements at its 2024 upfront event on Wednesday, as part of the South by Southwest Sydney event.
The broadcaster revealed a raft of new and returning content announcements, new digital rights, and new partnerships.
Below is a breakdown of what to expect from Seven over the next 12 months.
Seven Upfront 2024: New and Returning shows
Announced at the Upfront on Wednesday evening, Seven has announced its content line-up for 2024 across all screens, with news, sport, drama, entertainment, and special events coming to Seven and 7plus.
Seven West Media Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, James Warburton, said: “Seven creates great content. We eat, sleep and breathe content that connects with heartland Australia more than anyone else. We are the leaders in content. That’s why we have been the most watched network for 15 of the past 17 years, including the past three years in a row.
“Again this year, our content has made us #1 nationally in all people, 25 to 54s and 16 to 39s. No matter how you cut the numbers, more Australians turn to Seven than any other total TV network and we consistently deliver the most watched news, sport and entertainment content across all screens.”
See Also: “Any way you cut it”: Why Seven declared early TV Ratings win
NEW IN 2024
Dream Home
In a new renovation series for the Seven Network, Dream Home will see viewers watch six suburban homes transform before their eyes. Hosted by Dr Chris Brown, six pairs of everyday Aussies will battle it out room by room to create new homes, with a trio of expert judges set to score each new space. The winning couple will not only receive the home of their dreams, but also a life changing prize. Produced by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay company), Dream Home is coming to Seven and 7plus in 2024.
Stranded On Honeymoon Island
New reality format, Stranded On Honeymoon Island arrives on Seven and 7plus in 2024. The radical dating experiment sees couples matched together following a speed dating event, before being stranded on a deserted island in nothing but their wedding attire. Isolated and pitted against the forces of nature, and without the distractions of modern-day dating, can true love be found? Stranded On Honeymoon Island is created by Danish production company Snowman Productions and produced by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay Company) for the Seven Network. Seven acquired the rights to Stranded On Honeymoon Island from Red Arrow Studio International, who distribute the format internationally.
Made in Bondi
The reality series Made in Bondi will follow the lives and loves of Sydney’s young, social elite. Set in one of Sydney’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, opulence knows no bounds and drama is always on the menu, with every episode set to provide a front-row seat to parties, fashion, and romances. From trendy bars to luxurious harbourside mansions, this group of young socialites will navigate the interconnected web of relationships that define their lives. Based on the reality series Made in Chelsea, Made in Bondi will be co-produced by Universal International Studios’ labels Matchbox Pictures and Monkey for Seven and Channel 4 in the UK. It will launch on Channel Seven and 7plus in Australia and E4 in the UK. NBCUniversal Global Distribution will handle international sales of the new series. The “Made in” format is distributed globally by NBCUniversal Formats, also part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Once In A Lifetime
In a new animal adventure series, Dr Chris Brown will be pushed to his limits in the pursuit of the ultimate animal encounter. But he will not be travelling to the furthest corners of the globe alone. In a twist, Chris will be taking the country’s biggest personalities along… as his veterinary assistant. This is a journey into the unknown as these unlikely duos take on the challenge of helping the world’s most iconic animals – all while hopefully not putting themselves on the menu.
Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story
An insight into how hitmaker and trailblazer Michael Gudinski inspired the soundtrack of a nation and revolutionised the Australian music industry, Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story follows his pursuit of success over five decades as he launches Mushroom Records and the careers of countless artists, promotes legendary international acts, and takes Australian music to the world. Featuring exclusive interviews with some of the world’s most influential artists, extraordinary rare footage, and an electrifying soundtrack, this documentary reveals the man behind the music and the unstoppable force that was Michael Gudinski. Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story is a Mushroom Studios production.
First Dates
First Dates is back, as more singles take a chance on love. In this fly-on-the-wall dating series, hopeful singles – including some familiar faces – will have a chance of meeting the man or woman of their dreams in a set up blind date. The new series sees a new restaurant fitted out with discreet cameras to record the dates from start to finish, capturing all the awkwardness, funny moments and heart-warming connections. At the end of the evening, it will all come down to the killer question: “Would you like to go on a second date?” First Dates is a Warner Bros. International Television Australia production for the Seven Network.
The Wave
The Wave is a documentary film examining the atrocities and aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed at least 225,000 people and devastated the lives of many millions more. It revisits key locations in South East Asia where the effects of the tsunami can still be felt and includes individual stories of courage, resilience and – ultimately – redemption. It tells how people fought for their lives and their livelihoods; how their overwhelming grief is still – two decades on – often mixed with survivors’ guilt; and where they are today, 20 years on from the wave that changed everything. The Wave is an Arrow Pictures production for the Seven Network.
Australia’s Most Dangerous Prisoners
In Australia, there are over 40,000 men and women currently behind bars. Many of them have done very bad things. They have shattered countless lives, destroyed families and been responsible for unspeakable criminal acts. What did they do? How did they get here? And what are their lives like now? The new series will outline in detail the crimes that landed these men and women in Australia’s high security jails through first-hand accounts by ex-inmates, former correctional officers, journalists and forensic psychologists, who try to make sense of their world. Australia’s Most Dangerous Prisoners is a WTFN production for the Seven Network.
The Hunters
Investigative crime journalist Adam Shand and “The Human Lie Detector” Steve van Aperen join forces to crack famous crimes wide open. Using skills honed across decades of experience, they uncover new leads and evidence, leaving police no choice but to re-open cases. Each episode examines a different high-profile case. Adam and Steve revisit crime scenes for a hands-on recounting of each crime, and with exclusive access to original detectives, eyewitnesses, survivors and crime experts, they paint a visceral picture of murders, kidnappings, horrific attacks and underworld assassinations. The Hunters is a WTFN production for the Seven Network.
The Rise And Fall Of Kings Cross
Around the world, most nations have one place, a district or neighbourhood that never sleeps, where life is never dull, art meets crime and money will buy you anything. For Australia, that place is Sydney’s Kings Cross, the internationally notorious bawdy, riotous, gaudy, bloody neighbourhood that for generations has mixed fine art and great entertainment with rampant debauchery. This new documentary features rare and unseen vision, re-enactments and exclusive interviews in a cavalcade of stories spanning 150 years. The Rise And Fall Of Kings Cross is produced by Shadow Productions for the Seven Network.
King Con: The Life and Crimes Of Hamish McLaren
Hamish McLaren is one of the most successful con men of all time. Throughout a 30-year career, he scammed unsuspecting girlfriends, high profile businessmen, acquaintances and his best friends out of more than $60 million … and that’s just the people who came forward. Authorities suggest it could be twice that amount, as he wreaked havoc on a global scale targeting people in Canada, Asia, Europe and the UK, as well as at home in Australia. This special event series tracks the rise and fall of Australia’s most successful con man, and how Tom Zadravec, a young NSW Police detective, forensically pieced together Hamish’s scams and then brought him down. King Con: The Life and Crimes Of Hamish McLaren is a Perpetual Entertainment production for the Seven Network.
The Australian Roast Of John Cleese
Some of Australia’s funniest performers pay homage to international comedy legend, John Cleese, in a way that only Aussies know how: firing good-natured insults and jokes at our guest of honour (and each other!). Roastmaster Shane Jacobson is joined by Tom Gleeson, Joel Creasey, Christie Whelan Browne, Steve Vizard, Lehmo, Alex Lee, Lawrence Mooney, Damien Power, Stephen Hall and Rhonda Burchmore in this hilarious television event. The Australian Roast Of John Cleese is an Ocean View Entertainment production for the Seven Network.
RETURNING IN 2024
Farmer Wants A Wife
Ten long-term relationships. Nine marriages. Twenty-six babies. Farmer Wants A Wife is a show that is all about true love, not short-term social media fame. This year, the show grew its audience 13% and reached more than nine million viewers. The 2024 season is ready to roll, with more episodes, more farmers, and Samantha Armytage and Natalie Gruzlewski on a quest to find our farmers their one true love. Next year will also bring a Farmer Wants A Wife special event featuring the weddings and babies of past participants. Farmer Wants A Wife is a Fremantle Australia and Eureka Productions co-production for the Seven Network.
The Voice
The spinning red chairs are back in 2024, as host Sonia Kruger and superstar coaches search for Australia’s next singing sensation. The 2023 season of The Voice smashed it out of the park, reaching 11.7 million people, routinely winning its timeslot and generating big numbers on 7plus. Next year will be bigger, better and noisier. The Voice is produced by ITV Studios Australia for the Seven Network.
Dancing With The Stars
The stars and the sequins will hit the dance floor again in 2024 – and Sonia Kruger will welcome a brand-new co-host: Dr Chris Brown. Together, Sonia, Chris and the judges will keep the stars spinning, rhumba-ing and two-stepping. The series was up 10% year-on-year in 2023, including a 19% lift in 18 to 39s, and reached almost seven million people. Dancing With The Stars is produced by BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand for the Seven Network, from a format created by the BBC and distributed by BBC Studios.
Dancing With The Stars – 2023
Australian Idol
Twenty years after Guy Sebastian pipped Shannon Noll to become Australia’s first Idol, the international star-making show returns to Seven for a second big season. Radio king Kyle Sandilands and TV WEEK Logie Award winner and acclaimed singer Amy Shark will be joined by a new judge: Australian Idol OG and pop legend Marcia Hines. The trio will traverse the country to find the next Guy, Casey or Royston. Hosts Ricki-Lee and Scott Tweedie are back to help create an Idol dream. Australian Idol is produced by Eureka Productions for the Seven Network.
Australian Idol – 2023 winner Royston Sagigi-Baira
The 1% Club
The 1% Club caught Australia’s attention this year, becoming the top new entertainment show of 2023. The show and host Jim Jefferies will be back in 2024, as people of all ages and backgrounds find out if they are a rocket scientist or a space cadet. Unlike most quizzes, general knowledge isn’t what players need to excel; instead, it’s all about logic and common sense. To get to the end, contestants will have to bring their A-game to win big and join the elite ranks of the 1%. The 1% Club is produced by BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand, based on a Magnum Media format.
My Kitchen Rules
The cooking show reached 7.6 million people on Channel Seven and 7plus this year, serving up 13% more viewers year-on-year (overnight broadcast increase; total TV increase was 10%). Everyday cooks, great food, kitchen dramas and the wise guiding words of Manu Feildel, Colin Fassnidge and Nigella Lawson – plus the ringing of the doorbell – were a winning recipe. The series returns in 2024. My Kitchen Rules is produced by ITV Studios Australia for the Seven Network.
MKR – 2023 winners Radha and Prabha
SAS Australia
This year SAS Australia Chief Instructor Ant Middleton and his team of DS dumped 14 celebrities in a Middle Eastern desert for the biggest physical and emotional test of their lives. What will 2024 bring? A new batch of celebrities. More extreme conditions. More extraordinary tests of stamina and resilience from the real SAS selection process. More revelations. SAS Australia is produced by Screentime, a Banijay Group company, based on a Minnow Films format.
Home and Away
After 36 years of sun, surf and sizzling drama, Home and Away continues its reign as the most-watched regular local drama series on Australian screens. Four nights a week, an average of more than one million Australians visit Summer Bay – it’s also the biggest show on 7plus. Next year promises fresh faces, new drama and all the moments that make Home and Away so loved. Home and Away is a Seven Production.
RFDS
Aafter two seasons, RFDS has seen the stories of the doctors, nurses, pilots and support staff in the Royal Flying Doctor Service dealing with emergency retrievals across some of the most inhospitable places in the country. Seven has announced it has commissioned a third season of the series. RFDS is produced by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay company) for the Seven Network, with Banijay Rights managing international distribution.
The Chase Australia
Larry Emdur and his chasers – The Supernerd, The Shark, Goliath, The Governess, The Beast, The Tiger Mum and The Smiling Assassin – have made The Chase Australia the top afternoon game show in every week of 2023. The series will be back in 2024 for another year of tough questions, eager contestants – and with two brand new chasers, including The Professor. The Chase Australia is produced by ITV Studios Australia for the Seven Network based on the original ITV quiz show.
Big Brother
Host Sonia Kruger and Big Brother will welcome a new batch of housemates when Big Brother returns in 2024. A strong performer with younger viewers and on 7plus, Big Brother continues to draw in Australians more than 20 years after it first arrived on our screens. Next year’s series will deliver hook ups, break ups, make ups, shake ups and love in a battlefield, plus the return of Big Brother Uncut, a spicy exclusive 7plus only series. Big Brother is produced by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay company) for the Seven Network.
Sonia Kruger
Better Homes and Gardens
The longest running lifestyle program on Australian TV, Better Homes and Gardens has airing since 1995. Celebrating 30 years in 2024, host Johanna Griggs and presenters Adam Dovile, Charlie Albone, Dr Harry Cooper, Graham Ross, Juliet Love, “Fast Ed” Halmagyi, Karen Martini, Melissa King and Pete Colquhoun once again present all the cooking, gardening, home improvement, decorating, design, technology, health, wellbeing, fitness and motoring advice Australia needs. Better Homes and Gardens is a Seven Production.
Better Homes and Gardens – Charlie Albone, Johanna Griggs, Adam Dovile
Highway Patrol
Day in, day out, the members of the Victoria Police Highway Patrol (formerly the Traffic Management Unit) keep the roads and the people on them safe – and Highway Patrol has been with them for 14 years. Highway Patrol is produced by Greenstone TV for the Seven Network with the cooperation of Victoria Police.
Border Security: Australia’s Front Line
Border Security: Australia’s Front Line reaches a milestone in 2024: its 20th birthday. The new series will once again showcase the people from Australia’s customs, immigration and quarantine departments who devote their days and nights to keeping the country safe. Border Security: Australia’s Front Line is produced by EQ Media for the Seven Network.
Special Events
This year the TV WEEK Logie Awards returned to Seven for the first time since 1995. The Logies had its biggest audience since 2017 and reached more than 3.6 million people. The glitz, glamour and excitement of the Logies will be back on Seven and 7plus in 2024.
The Perth Channel Seven Telethon is taking place on 21 and 22 October – live from RAC Arena for 26 hours – and will return in 2024. Established in 1968, the Telethon has raised more than $500 million to ensure a better life for children, now and in the future. Funds raised support more than 100 charitable organisations that deliver media research into childhood diseases and much-needed equipment, programs and health services for sick, vulnerable and disadvantaged children in Western Australia.
Next year will also bring the Good Friday Appeal in partnership with the Herald Sun, which this year raised more than $23 million for the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.
Carols In The Domain will be live, free and exclusive on Seven on 23 December this year with a galaxy of stars helping Australia celebrate the festive season. It will be back in 2024.
The red-carpet dazzle and all the star power of both the 96th and 97th Annual Academy Awards will be on the screens of Seven in 2024 and 2025.
NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
7NEWS reaches 2.2 million people every weekday and has an average audience of 1.35 million (across the full hour), with Seven saying it leads its closest rival by 36%.
7NEWS Saturday has a national audience of 1.08 million, while 7NEWS Sunday has a national audience of 1.34 million and a 23% lead on its rival.
Hosted by Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington, Sunrise won the 2023 breakfast battle taking the title of Australia’s highest rating breakfast show for a 20th year in a row.
The Morning Show has also achieved the same result, holding #1 for the past 16 years and winning every week of the year. As the day draws to a close, The Latest from 7NEWS goves viewers late-night TV news viewing.
Seven’s investigative series 7NEWS Spotlight has grown its audience year on year.
7NEWS.com.au has had a record year and is now one of the most-read news sites in the country, with its audience growing in every single state in combined page views – eclipsing the one billion mark during 2022-23 for the first time in the site’s history, a 20% increase year-on-year.
2023 also represents the best ever year for video plays on 7NEWS.com.au, up 31% over the same period last year.
Seven’s Director of News and Public Affairs, Craig McPherson, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the entire Seven news and public affairs team and our continued growth this year throughout all of Australia and in the key markets. To hold the position as the most watched news program is a great honour.
“We are very pleased that viewers trust us to keep them informed with truthful and honest reporting. It’s exciting to see that trust has extended across our other platforms via online and social media. It’s here 7NEWS, Sunrise and our other shows are also thriving and allowing us to reach an ever-greater audience.”
7TWO, 7MATE, 7BRAVO, 7FLIX
Key content on Seven’s multichannels next year includes:
7Two: Vera, Shetland, Father Brown, McDonald & Dodds, Karen Pirie, Grace, The Yorkshire Vet, Bargain Hunt, Escape To The Country, I Escaped To The Country.
7mate: Outback Crystal Hunters, Train Rescue Down Under, Outback Comedy Outlaw, Kings Of Pain, American Pickers, Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, Family Guy, American Dad.
7Bravo: Below Deck Down Under Season 2, Made In Chelsea Season 25, Botched Season 8, Real Housewives of Miami Season 6, Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 13, Buried in the Backyard Season 5, Accident, Suicide or Murder Season 4, Celebrity Prank Wars, The Edge with Orlando Bloom, House of Villains, Luann And Sonja: Welcome To Crappie Lake, Ballroom Dancing Queens and Live From E! live red carpet coverage.
7flix: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and 24 Hours To Hell And Back, First Dates (Australia and UK), movies (family movies Fridays and Saturdays).
Seven Upfront 2024: Meet Phoenix, Seven’s total TV trading system
The Seven Network has announced the rollout of Phoenix, a platform the network is reporting to be the world’s most advanced total TV trading system.
Seven also announced new data and insights partnerships with View Media Group and Raiz Invest, further strengthening its audience intelligence platform 7REDiQ and Seven’s advertising and viewer experience strategy.
Seven West Media Chief Revenue Officer, Kurt Burnette, said: “Phoenix brings together the massive reach and audience of the screens of Seven for brands to invest in across the capital cities, regional Australia and digital. It is an absolute game changer for marketers and media agencies.
“Phoenix uses inventory optimisation and AI audience prediction engines to deliver guaranteed outcomes – every channel, every zone, every market, separate or converged, however our customers choose to engage – and to do more with their budgets and reach more people, more efficiently and effectively, with even more accountability.
“It is our vision that by 2030, every ad and integration served by Seven West Media will be personalised, optimised and addressable. We are well and truly on that journey,” he said.
“Phoenix means our customers can buy Seven’s audiences at the touch of a button, with 7REDiQ data overlay and real-time reporting. Phoenix creates a connected, seamless experience for advertisers – and means an increase of effectiveness and the death of makegoods.”
Kurt Burnette
Burnette said that as part of Phoenix, every fully converged total TV campaign bought will include real-time effectiveness reports to give transparency and scalable insights for action.
“We know that to be a true ‘first choice’ partner for customers, now more than ever we need to prove our effectiveness and the positive action we help create,” he said. “And that is why we will go beyond traditional media metrics and provide more insights into what is driving real business outcomes for clients.
“We know advertising on Seven works. We want to prove it and show you how.”
Phoenix will also use audience prediction tools from Databricks to drive ways of trading and enhance the accuracy and consistency of Seven’s prediction capabilities to deliver on audience outcomes for clients.
To enhance Seven’s data and insights offering, the new partnerships with View Media Group and Raiz Invest will give clients a deeper understanding of how Australians are spending and behaving, and will become an important part of 7REDiQ.
Seven West Media National Sales Director, Digital, Rachel Page, said: “With 13.5 million registered users from 7plus, 7REDiQ is the centre of excellence for audience intelligence. The addition of View Media Group and Raiz Invest make it an even more powerful tool for clients, with more and deeper insights.
“Thanks to Raiz Invest, which is Australia’s favourite roundup and investment app, we will soon release transaction level-based audience insights that brands will be able to activate across all devices.
“View Media Group is shaking up the property listings market and is the clear leader in using AI and ML modelling to predict seller and buyer market trends and demand,” she said.
“Both View Media Group and Raiz Invest are great examples of giving our brand and agency partners the ability to address and connecting to forward thinking data and insights that will put brands ahead of the curve when it comes to connecting with Seven’s audience.”
Phoenix: The key client benefits
Combining technology from global ad sales software leaders Salesforce and Imagine Communications, the Phoenix platform will work to:
• Deliver new ways to trade in a dynamic and converged way across all the Seven platforms, leading the evolution of trading and creating the future of total TV audience trading.
• Enable clients to buy across all the screens of Seven easily and effectively.
• Allow the full utilisation of data assets, leveraging the introduction of VOZ and Seven’s unique data assets to expand multi-screen audience delivery opportunities.
• Centralise and harmonise client data across Seven’s capital city, regional and digital assets to provide a holistic data view to clients, allowing the optimisation of campaign delivery.
• Offer converged reporting that provides a complete picture, across all platforms, in one place, creating a streamlined and efficient view of customer activities and quick action and response times.
• Reduce the time spent on linear and converged booking processes from hours to minutes.
• Drive customer-centricity and focus through innovative and market-leading CRM tools.
Seven Upfront 2024: Databricks partnership brings AI to Seven’s advertisers
The Seven Network has announced a partnership with cloud, data and AI company, Databricks, which uses AI to drive contextual, relevant advertising experiences for its audiences.
The alliance with Databricks comes after the launch of Seven’s personalisation engine – built with Amazon Web Services (AWS) – which is delivering highly customised recommendations and enhanced content discovery to 7plus users.
Seven West Media Chief Digital Officer, Gereurd Roberts, said: “AI has been embedded in our business for the past 18 months. It’s at the heart of our entire user experience on 7plus, powering the personalisation engine we have implemented with AWS.
“AI-driven personalisation is live across the entire 7plus ecosystem on every device and every screen. It has redefined the AVOD experience in Australia, putting us on a different level to our competitors and on par with the best global SVOD platforms.
“For our viewers, it means a dynamic interface and real-time shelf ordering that serves the most relevant content recommendations, based on their individual viewing behaviour, and importantly, the AI model’s prediction of their future viewing behaviour,” he said.
With 13.5 million registered users, 7plus saw its live streaming lift 40% during the 2022-23 financial year and VOD viewing increase 15%.
Roberts said: “We are moving 7plus from being one product for all, with everyone seeing the same thing, to truly being one-to-one. Audiences today expect personalised, relevant experiences. When you get this right, they reward you.”
After Seven’s work with AWS, the personalised content shelves on 7plus have seen a 48% increase in minutes watched over, while the personalised ‘Trending now’ shelf has seen viewer interactions jump three times versus the previous human curation.
“With Databricks, we are extending our ground-breaking implementation of AI beyond the user experience to include the advertiser experience,” Roberts said.
The first phase of Seven’s work with Databricks has been completed, enabling Seven to predict what the audience on 7plus will be over the next seven days, to a level of accuracy of over 91%.
Roberts said: “Through this work, we can tell you today what the next week of audience on 7plus will look like, all the way down to a show level. For our clients, that translates into buying with confidence.
“Phase two of our work with Databricks, which is underway right now, will allow us to not only predict the audience across the next seven days and beyond, but we will also be able to break it down by segment and demographic. You can not only see the audience you want to find, but also the scale with which we can deliver it.”
Roberts said that, building on the first two phases of the Databricks project, phase three will use AI to identify acceptance of ad load by audience segment and dynamically change the size of the ad breaks accordingly.
Seven West Media Chief Revenue Officer, Kurt Burnette, said: “This doesn’t just take contextual advertising to a new level, it turns it on its head. We want to be meticulous about the right ad load, and the right type of ad, for the right audience.
“There’s a lot more in play, like using AI not only to serve the ads but to find the most meaningful moment in any show to integrate brands inside the content, in real-time.
“That is how we are using AI: to drive engagement in our content, and to drive engagement with advertising. It’s that combination of user experience and ad experience that we call the customer experience – and we have an absolute focus on both,” he said.
Adam Beavis, Vice President and Country Manager for Databricks in ANZ said “Seven has long been a leader in Australian media and its continued investment in game- changing technology like AI only reinforces this leadership position.
“Australian enterprises are doing some phenomenal things with AI, which is only going to strengthen their market positions. Databricks’ lakehouse unifies data, analytics, and AI on a single platform, and it always excites us when we get to help market leaders build AI solutions and derive the insights they need to continue evolving their businesses.”
Seven Upfront 2024: New and exclusive content coming to 7plus in 2024
Seven Network will be delivering new and exclusive premium content on their streaming platform 7plus in 2024.
The network has promised new user experience features and new advertising products, as well as the launch of “the biggest revolution ever seen in the Australian streaming market” in September.
The offerings will include first-run content from the biggest and best studios in the world, including NBCUniversal, Disney, Fox, Sony Pictures, ITV Studios and many more.
Seven West Media Chief Digital Officer, Gereurd Roberts, said: “7plus is already the most advanced AVOD service in Australia and next year we will extend that lead, as we continue to build out our world-class product.
Gereurd Roberts
“In 7plus we have a platform that goes well beyond the scope of traditional BVOD and is a premium streaming destination in itself, with the content pillars of live, on demand and FAST channels driving growth.
“More than 70% of the content on 7plus is exclusive to it and almost 60% of all viewing comes from non-broadcast content,” he said.
“At the same time live streaming is booming on 7plus, driven by amazing content this year such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the AFL Grand Final, the Brownlow Medal and much, much more.
“7plus is constantly breaking records. The FIFA Women’s World CupTM Semi Final between the Matildas and England on 16 August had an extraordinary 957,000 viewers on 7plus, shattering the record for the most streamed event ever in Australia. The AFL Grand Final on 30 September had 441,000 viewers on 7plus, which was the biggest ever audience for an AFL match on a streaming platform.”
Seven West Media Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, James Warburton, said: “The addition of AFL and cricket to 7plus will be biggest game changer in the history of Australian streaming. Together, they will represent four billion new minutes of viewing on 7plus a year.
James Warburton
“That is the equivalent in minutes of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and FIFA Women’s World CupTM combined – not 17 days or five weeks but 52 weeks of the year, every year. It’s a whole new ball game, for Seven, for sport fans and for our commercial partners.”
“To deepen engagement for the millions of existing and new users, new features coming to 7plus in 2024 include start over, live pause and rewind, skip credits, picture-in-picture, and even more personalisation features to keep users engaged.”
2024 will also see a suite of new advertising products on 7plus.
Seven West Media Chief Revenue Officer, Kurt Burnette, said: “The new advertising products include dynamic live overlays, extending 7plus’ leadership with additional premium interactive ads, and more formats for non-intrusive sport and FAST channel commercialisation. They are all about the continual creation of an enhanced advertising and viewer experience through rich second screen application and shoppable content.”
Seven Upfront 2024: Full digital rights to AFL and cricket headline sport slate
In 2024, Seven will be bringing the AFL and cricket to 7plus with the introduction of full digital rights.
The AFL rights will kick in with the Brownlow Medal and the AFL Grand Final in 2024, followed by the AFLW (which is already running on 7plus) then the full 2025 season.
Seven’s digital rights to cricket start in October 2024, with Test matches, Women’s Internationals, BBL and WBBL running on 7plus for the first time.
See Also: What 7Plus is doing to change the streaming game in 2024
Seven West Media Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, James Warburton, said: “The addition of AFL and cricket to 7plus will be biggest game changer in the history of Australian streaming. Together, they will represent four billion new minutes of viewing on 7plus a year.
“That is the equivalent in minutes of the Tokyo Olympics and FIFA Women’s World CupTM combined – not 17 days or five weeks but 52 weeks of the year, every year. It’s a whole new ball game, for Seven, for sport fans and for our commercial partners.”
The new digital rights to the AFL and cricket join the overall sport slate on Seve, which has reached more than 18 million people so far this year.
Sports on Seven include the AFL, AFLW, Test cricket, BBL, WBBL, Supercars, the NFL Super Bowl, The Everest, the Golden Slipper, the Golden Eagle, the Caulfield Cup, the Cox Plate, The Big Dance, the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, surfing, netball, golf, and hockey.
Managing Director Seven Melbourne and Head of Network Sport, Lewis Martin, said: “At Seven, we are passionate about sport. We are champions of it – the games, the codes, the athletes, the fans. We know firsthand how sport brings an entire nation together, as we all saw with the extraordinary performance of the Matildas in the FIFA Women’s World CupTM this year.
“Nobody does sport better than Seven. That’s why we’re #1. And it’s not just about one-off events; it is Australia’s best sport, 52 weeks a year, on every screen, meaning Seven reaches more racing hearts of Australian sport fans than anyone else.
“We also believe in democratising sport, ensuring it is live and free for everyone. Next year will be a massive one for the fans, when the AFL and cricket arrive live and free on a streaming platform for the first time. Millions of Australians will be able to see their favourite sports on 7plus for free, for the first time. It is going to be huge and will change the way Australians watch sport forever,” he said.
“And, of course, Seven is still the only place to offer the most powerful marketing weapon in the country: the 30 seconds after a goal in AFL and after a wicket in the cricket.”
Next year will also bring the national rollout of streamer.com.au, Australia’s fastest-growing community sport live-streaming platform.”
streamer.com.au
Established by The West Australian, Streamer is the home of community sport and showcases everything from amateur karate to State tennis and grassroots footy. Unlike other similar platforms, Streamer lets leagues, clubs and players create profiles and do everything from fundraising to sharing their highlight clips from games on social media. It also allows sporting organisations to control and house their own content on the site.
Streamer has seen major growth, and in the past eight months alone, viewership has risen by more than 200% and Streamer has onboarded more than 220 clubs. Now it is going national, with BHP as its foundation partner.
West Australian Newspapers editor-in-chief Anthony De Ceglie said: “Our aim is for Streamer to be the most popular one-stop shop for live streaming community sport and events in Australia. Streamer has been built to accommodate streaming programs from clubs and leagues at any price point. It’s a true social media disrupter that is technologically far superior to any other sites live-streaming grassroots sports and, importantly, it hands over power to sporting organisations and players. This means they can do everything from clipping highlights to creating player profiles or even fundraising via Streamer.”
AFL
The 2023 AFL season wrapped on 30 September, when Collingwood defeated the Brisbane Lions in a AFL Grand Final that reached 4.98 million Australians.
The Grand Final became the most watched TV program in 2023 outside of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, scoring an average total television audience of 3.75 million viewers, including 3.3 million viewers nationally (up 22% on the 2022 Grand Final) and 2.47 million in the capital cities. An additional 441,000 viewers watched live on 7plus – the biggest ever audience for an AFL match on a streaming platform.
The AFL and the AFLW return to Seven in 2024 – and for the following seven years – along with the Brownlow Medal (exclusive to Seven).
Sam Pang, Mick Molloy and Andy Maher will be back at the bar hosting the award-winning The Front Bar, and serving up another season of insights, interviews and laughs. The Front Bar team will also return in November this year for a cricket special ahead of the Summer of Cricket.
Cricket
The summer of cricket on Seven rolled out on 1 October, when the Australian women’s cricket team took on the West Indies in the first of six white-ball matches.
Martin said: “That’s just the start of a sensational summer of cricket on Seven. With reinvigorated, shortened and power-packed BBL and WBBL seasons featuring the biggest names in the game, coupled with the history and reverence of the men’s and women’s summer Test series, it’s going to be the greatest ever season on Your Home of Cricket.”
Supercars
Following the Repco Bathurst 1000 on 6-8 October – which reached 5.13 million people – the Supercars Championship will roar back onto Seven in 2024.
With six Supercars Championship rounds across the screens of Seven next year, motorsport fans will be treated to the biggest and best dates on the motorsport calendar.
So far this year, Seven’s racing coverage has reached 7.9 million Australians across broadcast and BVOD, and has increased year-on-year.
Racing
The Spring Racing calendar is the pinnacle of the 7Racing portfolio, which covers Australian thoroughbred racing every Saturday of the year.
The long-term agreement with Racing Victoria and Racing NSW, which includes key race days in conjunction with Racing Queensland and Racing SA and means Australians enjoy 52 weeks of racing across the country.
The agreement includes Magic Millions, The Big Dance, The Everest, the Golden Slipper, the Golden Eagle, the Caulfield Cup, the Cox Plate, the Championships, the All Star Mile, the Queensland Oaks, the Queensland Derby, the South Australian Derby and the South Australian Oaks and Goodwood Handicap.
The year of sport on Seven also features the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race from Boxing Day, the Santos Tour Down Under, the rest of the 2023-24 NFL season – including the Super Bowl LVIII on 12 February 2024 – NFL Armchair Experts, AFL Armchair Experts and The Sunday Session.
Seven Upfront 2024: Channel 4 co-commission brings “Made in” format to Bondi
The Seven Network and Channel 4 in the UK have co-commissioned a new version of the British reality format “Made in”, which will be set in Bondi, Sydney.
The reality series Made in Bondi will follow the lives and loves of Sydney’s young, social elite. Set in one of Sydney’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, opulence knows no bounds and drama is always on the menu, with every episode set to provide a front-row seat to parties, fashion and, romances. From trendy bars to luxurious harbourside mansions, this group of young socialites will navigate the interconnected web of relationships that define their lives.
The series will be co-produced by Universal International Studios’ labels Matchbox Pictures and Monkey for Seven and Channel 4. It will launch on Channel Seven and 7plus in Australia and E4 in the UK. NBCUniversal Global Distribution will handle international sales of the new series.
The “Made in” format is distributed globally by NBCUniversal Formats, also part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Made in Bondi is based on the original BAFTA winning series Made in Chelsea, created and produced by Monkey. Now in its 26th series on E4, Made in Chelsea has continued to entertain audiences across the UK and all over the world for over a decade, garnering critical acclaim and a passionate fan-base. Beyond the fast cars, high fashion and winter and summer breaks, the series strives to shine a light on important topics that resonate with audiences; from grief and sexuality, to relationships and parenthood.
Seven’s Chief Content Officer, Entertainment Programming, Angus Ross, said: “After more than a decade spanning 26 seasons, the BAFTA award-winning Made in Chelsea is a true phenomenon of the reality TV genre and we can’t wait to bring the Australian version to the screens of Seven and beyond in 2024. Set against the backdrop of some of Australia’s most affluent and beautiful suburbs – and with an amazing cast of Sydney locals – Made in Bondi will be an addictive, glamorous and wild ride that will have viewers hooked from the first minute.”
Karl Warner, Head of Youth and Digital at Channel 4, said: “I’m thrilled to see ‘Made in’ growing into a global franchise. Made in Chelsea has been the jewel in E4’s crown for over 10 years and has become one of the most important digital brands in the C4 portfolio, loved by our audiences across a range of platforms. We’re delighted to be partnering with Seven and working with new friends, Matchbox and old [but fabulous] friends, Monkey.”