On Thursday the 19th August 2021, Ticker celebrates its second birthday.
In 2019, for Sky News Melbourne bureau chief Ahron Young, launched Ticker, the first Australian online streaming network, covering breaking news, business, and tech.
In just two years, the business has grown both audience and facilities, while doubling down on its core objective to provide news to inner urban millennials around the world.
When Mediaweek first heard about Young’s ambitious plan we visited the studio which was in a tight co-working space in Melbourne’s CBD. As Mediaweek readers have followed the growth of the newsbrand, Ticker has now expanded internationally into Singapore as it now occupies a new global headquarters dubbed Ticker Park in Port Melbourne.
Ticker CEO and founder Young said this week: “Day one of Ticker News. It was a Monday morning and only decided to go live the night before. It was a mad scramble but we lived by the mantra ‘let’s just do it’. It wasn’t perfect, but we knew what we wanted to achieve.
“It’s been an incredible journey, which feels more like 10 years! In 2019, no one knew we were on the verge of a pandemic. But despite how hard the conditions have been, we’ve still grown our business, our awareness and our audience.”
Ticker is currently building a world class news studio, featuring huge LED screens and the latest technology. The new studio will debut within the next three weeks.
Ticker has also hired a news reporter in London.
Social distancing at the Ticker birthday celebration: CEO Ahron Young with COO Jed Bertalli
“To achieve 17 hours a day of live broadcasting is no easy task. We have worked tirelessly to develop the systems, people and technology to make it possible. I’m so proud of our team and our partners (and their patience),” Ahron said.
Ticker News now employs 20 journalists and producers who work around the clock to provide world-class news for the tech generation. The news service features interviews with more than 70 people a day.
Ticker Originals now include over a dozen shows targeted at Ticker’s viewers made up of professional millennials. Program partners include the Australian government’s AusIndustry, as well as international businesses.
Ticker COO Jed Bertalli added: “We’ve worked hard to create the Ticker brand and to create a whole new platform which focuses on news and is a commercial success.
“The business is now in the perfect position to make the most of the transition from traditional broadcast media to BVOD and online platforms.”
Ticker NEWS is also expanding its distribution footprint as more people get their video news online. Ticker recently announced an exciting new partnership with ARN’s iHeart Radio. Another milestone that has added to their array of distribution partners.
Last year was certainly a huge challenge. When Covid hit it was literally moving office in a race against lockdown, but also against business failure.
Young told Mediaweek it had been a frantic year: “I think I’m still trying to catch up on lost sleep. You might think the pandemic slowed us down, but I actually think it lit the fire in our bellies. Our 12 month plans became this month plans. No one has ever accused us of standing still!
“It helped us to maintain the fight and the excitement for what we were trying to build. Along the way we toughened up and learned to make difficult decisions. I had to learn how to become a leader, not just a journalist.
“History will show that Ticker launched right on time, as people began turning to online sources for video news. It’s allowed us space to grow, to figure out who we are. Now we just have to keep the momentum and continue to expand our distribution.”
See also: Ticker investing to build world-class broadcast studio hub in Melbourne