Prime and other regional TV networks take aim at new Plus7 mobile app in media reform push
Seven’s regional sister station Prime Media has joined with its other regional TV broadcasting brethren to accuse Network Seven of making a “mockery” of the reach rules with its newly launched mobile Plus7 TV streaming service.
Network Seven launched the mobile app this morning, highlighting how live-streaming of its three broadcast television channels, Seven, 7Mate and 7Two, could be used “everywhere” in Australia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvBRgR_9rDA
The app has quickly drawn an angry response from the regional TV networks who in a joint statement, signed by Prime chairman John Hartigan, WIN chairman Andrew Gordon, Southern Cross Austereo CEO Grant Blackley and Imparja CEO Alistair Feehan, said: “Seven’s new product allows it to circumvent the ‘reach’ rule at the same time that it is aggressively lobbying for that rule to be retained.
I warned the regional that this would happen more than a year ago. So it can hardly be a surprise.
And you know what? If laws are changed they will be able to geozone these regional areas and sell advertising within the digital streams to all those different regional areas. Also known as “in stream” advertising.
One thing is for sure – Seven is in Disneyland if they think the market believes they can Geo Block by region in Australia.
Seven Executive need to go back to digital school if they keep that line.
Unfortunately for Seven – they scored a home goal today.
Wow, I can now watch free to air TV on my device
This would be mildly interesting, if I gave two shits about any content that is on free to air
Interested to see how Seven will make their content (for example AFL games) available everywhere and on every device. Thought Telstra had just paid plenty for those rights?
Seven refers to the live streaming app as ‘only covering its owned and operated markets’, yet I was able to watch Sunrise live this morning on Plus7 and I live in the Upper Hunter where Seven does not broadcast.
Isn’t this in breach of the 75% audience reach rule, a regulation Seven seem to be supportive of retaining?
Has anyone been geoblocked using this app? I don’t see how Seven could possibly implement this based on your location in Australia.
So I can now watch AFL on 7 mate for free now? So no need for a foxtel go subscription anymore? Nor a Telstra Livepass to watch the AFL? Didnt Foxtel and Telstra spend squillions for the rights to stream AFL in digital formats and on mobile devices?
Why hasn’t the AFL, or Foxtel, or Nine sent legal injunction letters to Seven today?? Their multi-million dollar investment in sporting rights has just been shot down..
This is a curious announcement from an implementation perspective. However commentators writing it off as impossible are wide of the mark. I suspect Seven will mandate the use of location services on tablet and mobile to block people outside available areas. If location services are switched off, the app won’t function until it can get a location. And spoofing location while possible is generally a hack / jailbreak.
App for ipad states: “Live stream Sunrise and The Morning Show”
No footy.
What would be the point of blocking geo-blocking ?
It would only be used for targetting advertising specific to a region.
Channel 7 has only rights to three games a week. Foxtel has rights to all the others.
This is hilarious. Off to digital school indeed everybody