Ten aims for consistency at 7.30 and more digital dollars in 2017
Ten CEO Paul Anderson has pledged to forge stronger relationships with advertisers, do more across digital platforms and continue to grow the network’s audience share on the back of more consistent, year-round programming.
Speaking at Ten’s results briefing, where the network reported television revenue share was up by 7.5% to $676m, Anderson said the year had been one of steady progress. but 2017 would mark an important transition.
“We are continuing to invest in differentiated content in a disciplined manner,” Anderson said.
“One of the key aims of that investment is to create year-round consistency in our multi-night franchises in the critical 7.30pm time slot – something Ten has never achieved.
“Our 7.30pm content strategy is bookended by the KFC Big Bash League which starts in mid-December each summer and runs until late January.”
He noted that the BBL had become the most successful summer content Ten had aired.
Anderson said the relationship with MCN, running Ten’s salesforce, had a major impact of the fortunes of the business.
“Our strategy of investing in prime time content and new distribution channels coupled with the innovative and market-leading strategic arrangement with MCN have produced sound results,” he said.
“Our content strategy continues to deliver with Ten increasing its audiences on television and across online and social media platforms.
“While television remains the dominant medium for Australians we recognise that people’s viewing habits are changing.
“Free-to-air TV is the home of the best, the most engaging video content in the world and increasingly that content is available to people wherever they want it, whenever they want it and on whatever device they want to watch it on.
“Our TV everywhere strategy which is best demonstrated by the strong expansion of Tenplay over the past three years shows that we are embracing and capitalising on the changes taking place amongst our viewers.
Anderson noted that Ten’s online streaming service Tenplay increased its advertising revenue by almost 20% and the network would continue to use it to drive more revenue beyond the broadcast channels.
Across the board he said 2016 had created a good foundation for the business.
“The 2016 financial year was a period of considerable change and steady progress for Ten. Key achievements included strong advertising revenue and share growth, ongoing growth in out television and online audiences and the establishment of our arrangement with MCN,” he said.
Anderson said the the investment by Foxtel in the network and a capital raising had given Ten new flexibility.
“(It’s) given us the ability and the financial flexibility to continue to make strategic investments in content to help maintain the momentum we have seen in our audience and audience share growth,” he said.
The network boss also used the results as an opportunity to support ThinkTV and the strength of TV’s ratings system saying TV had a “trusted and proven measurement strategy”.
