Venue: The Glasshouse, Olympic Park, Melbourne
Crowd: Two performances (!) for around 300 each sitting
Length of presentation: One hour 18 minutes
MORE: Nine Upfront 2018 – Minute-by minute
Start: 1.07pm
Room darkens with massive wide screen – thunder and lightning. Videos promoting Comm Games and Winter Olympics.
#ChangeTheGame
Host on stage is Peter Charles, Seven Melbourne sales director.
“You are the first people in the country to see Seven’s lineup for the next 15 months.”
1.11pm Tim Worner onstage
Tim Worner presenting at Seven West Media upfront in Melbourne
“Eleven years in a row we have finished on top – and we are going to make it 12 years in a row.
“This was out roughest year and not our best win. In the back half we have come up short.
Seven’s message to advertisers: Content – Audience – Connection
1.13pm Kurt Burnette onstage
“We have created the perfect storm,” said Seven’s chief revenue officer Kurt Burnette speaking about programming slate for 2018.
Streaming content talked about first – “It has been a journey of discovery”. Burnette has been with Seven for 27 years. “I want to be here for 27 more…maybe not! [Laughs]
“Let me introduce you to lightning strike moments – moments that are the exact opposite to the most overused word in media – fragmentation.
“We have created the perfect storm.
“The largest investment in content this company has ever had.”
Burnette said 2.1m will watch Rugby League World Cup on the screens of Seven. 2.4m will watch the final. And, for the first time, Seven will serve addressable ads.
“9.5m watching Melbourne Cup. 2.8m will watch Australian Open Tennis women’s final.
“The next day – Men’s Open final 5.1m people.
“Next day 2.8m people watching relaunch of MKR.
“Two weeks later 1m people will watch Brit Cox go for gold at Winter Olympics.”
Video showing other Feb highlights – women’s and men’s AFL. “Event TV 32 weeks a year. AFLW Feb 2 Carlton v Collingwood.”
“Moment of the year – Wed April 4 Gold Coast Comm Games Opening Ceremony.”
Coming new light entertainment, reality, drama – no details yet.
Seven has 5% audience growth on top of market-leading position in first half of 2017.
New Q3: New talk show, dance show, safe nudity show!
Promising audience growth in marketing that is fragmenting.
“The #1 TV brand as chosen by audiences, Seven will be Australia’s choice to be #1 for a 13th year.”
Burnette talks about other businesses that Seven West Media has invested in.
Talking again about lightning strike moments.
New shows
Joe Herdman EP Seven Studios introduces changes coming to MKR.
“Buckle up,” says Pete Evans during clips from new season.
1.34pm Adam Elliott, Director – Network Sales
Custom made extra content for social platforms featuring previous contestants from My Kitchen Rules. “It is now an all-round proposition.”
Promo video for Winter Olympics. Up to seven live streams.
Expecting record 42% audience share in February.
1.38pm Mick Molloy onstage
The Front Bar host Mick Molloy talks about the expansion of the format in 2018.
He explains the Front Bar expansion – will be travelling to Winter Olympics and the Commonwealth Games with the show being rebranded The Front Balcony.
“I am so proud of our little show and Seven giving us the opportunity to go primetime.” Mick seemed to be working without an autocue.
1.43pm Adam back onstage
Commonwealth Games promo video.
Athletes claiming they unseat England as gold medal champs.
Seven announces exclusive live partnership with Optus.
For new series of Australian Spartan – Seven will be cutting the ad load by 50%.
Seven program gurus Angus Ross and Rikkie Proost talk about cutting through the content clutter.
Massive changes coming to House Rules said Evan Wilkes – EP Seven Studios.
Promo clip for House Rules with mother and daughter team and some of the other teams.
“At Seven we are trying to get the balance right between art and science. How good would it be if we can tell you what shows give you the most positive return. We can do that now. It is called Brand Attribute Matching.”
Something called Code7 launching next year. More details to follow.
“One more show I want you to see. Female, friendly and feel good.”
Introduced by Julia McGauran, head of drama, Seven Studio… The drama is the Olivia Newton-John drama, Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted To You – clips of Delta Goodrem playing Olivia.
1.58pm Tim Worner returns
“Welcome to the premiership quarter.” He introduces clips of Instant Hotel and The Wall which are launching this month.
Instant Hotel looks like MKR meets Airbnb.
“Today we are also revealing some shows in very early stages of development.
“Welcome back to Seven and Australian television, Andrew Denton.”
Denton onstage. “Is this show going to be like the other one about Rope?
“When the chemistry is right, one of the most compelling things on television can be an interview.
“What has changed this time around is the world in which we live. It’s too early to list guests, but to borrow from Donald Trump…they will be the most amazing guests ever.”
Why Seven? “When I was last here Kerry Stokes made it clear to me there would always be a home for me at Seven so I came back.”
Andrew Denton at Seven West Media upfront
Worner back onstage talking about brand integration, using Better Homes & Gardens as example of best practice.
Two new shows offering opportunities for brands – The Rich House and Dance Boss.
Angus Ross on video talking about reality strip shows.
Sonya Wilkes, head of program development, Seven Studios: “Two shows in the very early stages of development at Seven.
Tim Worner is back – “There is one thing missing – money.
“It is a talking point in every house every night. Finance can be a boring subject. It is critical we get the casting right for this one.”
Welcome to Seven – Mark Bouris onstage to introduce The Mentor.
2.12pm
“Hi. I’m Mark Bouris and I have been in business in Australia for a bloody long time.”
Bouris onstage wearing jeans and casual shirt.
“I brought this show to Seven because no one does Australian stories better than Seven. It is perfectly suited to integration for brands to solve real life challenges. I look forward to working with you in this game changer.”
Yellow Brick Road founder Mark Bouris will return to TV with a new show in 2018
Tim Worner back onstage.
“I am not sure where to go with this – wild music and nudity.”
Promo for Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Boy.
More Tim: “In the relationship space we have two new shows: The First Wives Club and Back With The Ex.”
The latter reunites four couples – two stay together, one split and other you will have to see it to believe it.
One off events in back half of next year: Brad Lyons speaking on special events spikes branded “For One Night Only”.
One will be a charity special – The Real Full Monty.
Last but not least – Plus7 becomes 7Plus.
In house joke? Somebody asks smart TV to play Yummy Mummies season two.
2.24pm:
Clive Dickens onstage. “It is going to change the game. 7Plus is so much more than catch-up TV.
More premium content than any other Australian OTT offering. Content from some of the world’s largest studios. We will focus on addressable advertising.
More new reality, drama, lifestyle reality, factual, sci-fi.
No joke – Yummy Mummies is back – the first 7Plus commission.
7Plus will have 3m active users by the time Comm Games start.
FVOD is bigger than SVOD.
Clive welcomes James Bayes, digital sales director, to the stage.
Running a little longer than we initially predicted!
2.33pm
Next onstage is Seven Network head of marketing Anna Bacic for discussion of benefits of Red Fusion and overall marketing opportunities for clients across the group.
2.40pm
Kurt Burnette back onstage winding up the event.
“The teams will be out talking to advertisers from next week.”
Sessions ends with performance clip of Delta as Olivia performing in Grease.