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Immersive video content is the future, says Switch Media CEO Mark Johns

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MEDIA RELEASE
Source: MEDIAWEEK, 12 September 2018
Written by Kruti Joshi

 

Switch Media is the silent partner of some of the biggest broadcasters in Australia.

The Sydney-based streaming media tech company has been around for 12 years and one of its first clients was ABC iview. The company doesn’t provide the technology for the platform any more, but it still works with Foxtel, SBS, Ten and Seven.

Mark Johns, CEO Switch Media

Switch Media CEO Mark Johns was with the company when it initially launched and was operating out of an apartment in Pyrmont. After a gap of about five years, Johns rejoined the company in his current role in September 2017.

“The company started off by accident,” he told Mediaweek. “The founders, Christopher Stenhouse and Luke Durham, were working on a website, around the same time as YouTube launched, for curated content that people wanted to see.

“One of the people they pitched the idea to said, ‘I hate the content but I love your technology.’ From that point the skew was the technology.”

The founder and CEO of Switch Media came from a broadcast engineering background. This helped the company understand how to build a digital streaming and catch-up platforms in a way that would set it apart from linear television.

“When we started, we were not an internet company but at the core we were a broadcast engineering company. Now we are both,” Johns said.

“Coming from that broadcast engineering background we could really help networks understand what they could do with this new technology.”

Australian households have warmed up to streaming. According to recent research by Roy Morgan, 13 million Australians have access to some form of subscription TV or pay TV service such as Foxtel, Fetch TV, Stan and Netflix. Nearly 10 million Australians have access to a Netflix subscription. Meanwhile, two million are able to view content on Stan.

What is next for streaming in Australia?

“A lot of people are interested in immersive experience for content like sports. This is a very personal experience,” Johns said. “There is also a big drive for content being consumed on connected television. More families are getting around TVs in the lounge room. So it’s going two ways.”

A new study from Switch Media of 1,000 consumers showed that 70% of the respondents would be interested in streaming content in either 360-degree view, virtual reality or an augmented reality environment.

Broadcasters and streaming services have started to test these technologies already. Recently, Optus Sport launched the FIFA Virtual Reality app for the World Cup. However, it wasn’t marketed very well, according to Johns.

While companies have started trialling this new technology, it is still expensive and uses a lot of bandwidth. There is still much work to be done to optimise video quality and bandwidth, Johns said.

“There are also challenges around buffering and ad insertions,” he said.

There is work to be done to make them cost-effect. Locally, it won’t become a norm in the immediate future, Johns predicted

Speaking about Switch Media’s biggest growth opportunities, Johns looked at breaking outside the Australia and New Zealand, saying it would provide a good opportunity for the company to learn about the implementation of immersive technologies.

[ARTICLE END]

Link to article: https://mediaweek.com.au/morning-report-archive/september-17-2018/

Keep an eye out for our detailed whitepaper, OTT Insights: uptake, perceptions and the worldwide evolution, COMING SOON!

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER to be one of the first to receive this whitepaper which looks at the progression of this cultural revolution and reveals interesting insights and statistics from our exclusive research around Australia’s media viewing habits, perceptions and expectations.

Upgrade sets standard for IPTV delivery to smart devices

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READ MEDIA RELEASE
Source: M+AD! NZ MEDIA & ADVERTISING NEWS DAILY, 2 August 2018

New Zealand’s new Freeview On Demand service is setting the standard for video on demand delivery to smart TVs via HbbTV, said FreeviewNZ’s Jason Foden at the Mediatech Pacific Conference 2018 in Auckland yesterday.

Developed by leading Over the Top solution provider Switch Media, the On Demand service commenced a rolling launch earlier last month to replace the previous FreeviewPlus offering.

One of the key features of Switch’s technology, and benefit for ad agencies/media buyers/clients, is the ability of their technology to deliver streamed programmes without the annoying buffering. The system also “dodges” or goes around ad-blocker to ensure client ads are delivered to the viewing audience.

The service provides viewers with a major upgrade to the previous FreeviewPlus platform with seamless browsing, effortless streaming and optimised playback of TVNZ, Three and Maori Television content.

Foden said the solution, a single Freeview App supported by the Switch Media back end, met the needs of the changing face of media and entertainment consumption in New Zealand for now and the future.

“Switch Media provided a flexible and innovative framework for on-boarding of participating broadcaster content compatible with a range of popular Smart TVs in the NZ market,” he said.

“The viewer-centric approach taken in its development means viewers can now enjoy easier access to On Demand and a more seamless viewing experience.”

Switch Media delivers world-class OTT solutions for clients across a diverse range of industries, from broadcasters and content providers, through to educational institutions and government. They work with the major broadcasters in Australia – including Channel 7, Network Ten, SBS, ABC and Foxtel – and developed the world-first multi-award-winning Freeview FV mobile app.

Luke Durham, CTO Switch Media

“One of the key benefits for ad agencies/media buyers/clients, is the ability of the technology to deliver streamed programmes without the annoying buffering.”

Its Chief Technical Officer, Luke Durham, said the new delivery solution not only immediately enhances the viewing experience, but also presents Freeview and their member broadcasters the chance to grow the audience and realise new revenue opportunities.

“If we look at why leading streaming companies around the world are so successful, it’s because they give people what they want and make it easy for them to access it,” he said.

“The Freeview On Demand platform makes the viewing experience consistent across all programmes and expands the features to improve the overall experience.

“By pooling resources into a single service, it has enabled Freeview NZ and its member broadcasters to lower costs, as well as improve quality and reliability, and foster innovation.

“The platform we have delivered for Freeview NZ can easily be extended in the future beyond smart TVs and made available on companion services, so people can watch live and on-demand TV shows and movies anywhere at any time.”

The Freeview On-Demand platform also enables a range of new features that are, or soon will be available for viewers, including the ability to: browse and search the programme guide without interrupting the current program they are watching;

  • plan viewing on the go using reminders and notifications;
  • control their Personal Video Recorders (PVR) from anywhere so they can set up recordings remotely; and,
  • record and playback programmes without a PVR, where the recordings are created in the ‘cloud’.
  • The development of IP streaming on the Freeview service will also enable niche content offerings to be made available which is not feasible using the traditional broadcast approach.

Durham said the most significant optimisation that benefits advertisers and viewers alike is the introduction of server-side ad insertion.

“The ads are stitched into the VOD streams before they are sent to the screen, which eliminates buffering and gives a more seamless TV-like experience,” he said.

“Furthermore, the solution provides insights that enable broadcasters to deliver a personalised viewing experience for their audience. They can serve ads tailored to the viewer based on information such as viewing history, location or by specific rules, ensuring maximum ad revenue.

“Not only is this good for broadcasters but also for viewers. Research we recently conducted shows viewers don’t mind advertising, especially on free-to-air TV, provided it isn’t too intrusive or disruptive, and is relevant. Server-side ad insertion technology, such as AdEase, is a key solution to this problem.”

About Switch Media

Switch Media is an Australian company founded in 2006 that is a world leader in delivering online video solutions for a diverse range of industries, from broadcasters and content providers through to educational institutions and government. Utilising its multi-screen video platform, Media Manager, coupled with a world-class technical team, Switch Media delivers OTT solutions for a superior Live and Catch-Up viewing experience – anywhere, anytime, on any device. Its services include content editing platforms, app development, tools to monetise content, through to the delivery of video to end users across multiple devices.

www.switch.tv

www.switch.tv/adease

Proud end-to-end service provider for the new Freeview On Demand NZ platform

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Switch Media is excited to have provided end-to-end development and delivery of the Freeview On Demand platform. Read Freeview Limited press release below to find out more.

“Freeview NZ is pleased to have partnered with OTT service provider Switch Media to deliver the new Freeview On Demand platform. Switch Media provided a flexible and innovative framework for easy on-boarding of participating broadcaster content, compatible with a range of popular Smart TVs in the NZ market. The viewer-centric approach taken in its development means viewers can now enjoy easier access to On Demand and a more seamless viewing experience.” – Freeview CEO, Jason Foden

Freeview launches new On Demand Experience

Source: PRESS RELEASE | FREEVIEW LIMITED | Tuesday 3 July 2018

 

Freeview has commenced roll-out of a new On Demand TV Platform to replace the existing FreeviewPlus service. The new Freeview On Demand provides a more seamless experience and easier access to free shows and movies you can watch any time, directly on your TV. Implemented in collaboration with leading New Zealand broadcasters (TVNZ, MediaWorks, Māori Television and RNZ), the new platform supersedes the broadcasters’ own TVNZ OnDemand, ThreeNow and Māori Television On Demand apps previously linked to FreeviewPlus. By combining shows across all participating broadcasters into a single content library and streaming them all within the new Freeview On Demand platform, it greatly improves content discovery and access.

Viewers are free to browse by genre, catch up by channel or locate specific titles through the search feature.

And rather than being sent to a show page on a linked broadcaster app, the show or movie selected by the viewer in the Freeview On Demand library will now play straight

away. Viewers will be asked to register for a new Freeview account when they stream their first show, so they won’t need to register for multiple accounts as more content partners are added. Signing up to a new Freeview account can also provide viewing history and deliver personalisation features in the future.

Freeview CEO, Jason Foden, says the platform has been designed with the viewer at the heart of the experience.

“Everything about the upgraded platform is designed to give our viewers the best experience possible. Its simple design and streamlined playback help to improve performance, a simpler mini guide points to a compelling On Demand library, the TV Guide provides more information at a glance, it’s easier to use and remains free.

“I’m confident the simplicity of the new platform and its visually-compelling interface will give Kiwis a greater viewing experience.” Foden concludes.

The new Freeview On Demand is available now on selected Smart TVs and will roll out over the coming week to all Smart TVs released since July 2015, as well as connected

set-top boxes and recorders.

Viewers who already have access to On Demand content through Freeview (or FreeviewPlus) will get an automatic upgrade. Those who do not currently access Freeview On Demand, but have fairly new Smart TV (2015-2017) can get it by simply connecting to a working TV antenna and broadband.

And yes, as with everything from Freeview, the new Freeview On Demand platform, its full suite of features and content are all free to access.

Find out more about the New Freeview On Demand here.

New Freeview On Demand – key changes:

  • Replaces FreeviewPlus and its linked broadcaster apps
  • Easier access to On Demand and Catch Up TV
  • Introducing a new Freeview account
  • Simpler Mini Guide
  • TV Guide provides more channels at a glance
  • Universal search by title, genre or channel
  • Browse by genres or by channel
  • Featured and Popular bands highlight the latest and greatest TV

 

 

About Freeview www.freeviewnz.tv
For more details please contact: Sophie Wills One Plus One Communications
09 951 3947 | 021 889 362 | sophie.wills@oneplusonegroup.co.nz

What are the benefits and evolution of SSAI? Switch Media’s Mark Wilson discusses both with SpotX.

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Mark Wilson, COO of Switch Media caught up with SpotX at NAB Show 2018 to discuss SSAI and our partnership with SpotX.

AdEase and SpotX compatibility allows content providers to take full advantage of AdEase, improving user experience and engagement. 

 

WATCH VIDEO TO FIND OUT MORE:

Proud service provider for the AWARD WINNING Freeview Plus app!

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As proud OTT service provider for Freeview AU, Switch Media is thrilled to have facilitated end-to-end delivery of the award-winning Freeview Plus service upgrade.

Winning Best TV/Video Upgrade or Launch at the international 2018 Connies Awards in London, the upgrade was designed to make content discovery easier than ever before, with a simplified user experience, additional features and a fresh look and feel.

Having worked with Freeview to deliver the world-first Freeview FV mobile app, Switch Media was best placed to facilitate the Freeview Plus service upgrade which launched on June 21st 2017, delivering to more than 2.2 million Freeview Plus-enabled TVs across Australia.

 

“The Freeview Plus upgrade is a significant one and we are excited to deliver the next level in content discovery and choice for Australia’s free-to-air TV programming. Australian broadcasters are truly leading the world in innovation and providing a complete TV experience. With this upgrade and our recently launched Freeview FV mobile app, viewers not only have great convenience but also a fantastic choice of how, when and where they watch their favourite content – for free.”
– Liz Ross, CEO, Freeview Australia

 

READ FREEVIEW MEDIA RELEASE, 8 May 2018

Freeview Plus awarded top honour at international Connies Awards

 

Freeview has won Best TV/Video Upgrade or Launch for its Freeview Plus service upgrade at the prestigious Connies Awards, announced overnight in London.

The only Australian company to win an award, this marks the third win for Freeview in the category, winning in 2015^ for the launch of Freeview Plus and again in 2017 for Freeview FV, the world-first free-toair industry TV live streaming and catch-up mobile app.

The Connies Awards recognise innovation and best practices from all sectors of the media landscape around the world. The awards showcase initiatives that meet the needs of leading media businesses and practitioners in delivering value to the ever-more connected consumer.

“This is a great tribute to the amazing team effort behind the significant Freeview Plus upgrade,” said Freeview CEO Elizabeth Ross.

“With this upgrade and the world-first Freeview FV mobile app, viewers not only have great convenience but also a fantastic choice of how, when and where they watch their favourite content – for free.”

Key to the Freeview Plus upgrade was the implementation of world’s best practice interface design which features image-based browsing and the introduction of the Explore TV function.

Explore TV presents viewers with image-based carousels including personalised recommendations and favourites along with live TV, catch up and genre-based browsing.

The Freeview Plus upgrade features also include an easy-to-use guide with backwards navigation to catch-up content and a simplified Mini Guide for quick program discovery.

Freeview Plus is a hybrid digital television service that provides access to catch-up free-to-air programming on TVs and has led the world since it launched in 2014, consistently winning local and international accolades for its ground-breaking technology and user interface.

ENDS

About Freeview
Launched in 2008, Freeview is the free digital television service in Australia which presents and promotes free-to-air channels and content to all Australians. Freeview encourages Australians to watch free-to-air content across various platforms by promoting benefits that include more than 25 channels and catch-up services for free. Freeview’s mission is to deliver the free-to-air content to all Australians where, when and on whatever device they choose.

^ Previously the Videonet Connected TV Awards

SpotX and Switch Media partner in OTT personalised ads play

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Source: Mumbrella 03 April 2018

Video monetisation platform SpotX has teamed with online streaming company Switch media to offer personalised ads on Over The Top mobile services.

SpotX
SpotX Partners With Switch Media To Offer Personalised Ads Across OTT

SpotX, a global video advertising and monetisation platform, today announced a compatibility with Switch Media, one of the world’s leading cloud-based streaming companies, to power server-side ad insertion (SSAI) for personalised advertising across live, sports, events and video on demand (VOD). The solution is part of AdEase, Switch Media’s multi-screen, digital product offering.

As viewership on desktop, mobile, and connected TV devices continues to rise, more efficient monetisation opportunities have emerged for broadcasters, enabling them to target viewers with personalised advertising. The SpotX and AdEase compatibility allows broadcasters working with SpotX to take full advantage of Switch Media’s AdEase, which improves the user experience and increases engagement by providing one continuous video stream without any buffering during live TV and VOD for uninterrupted viewing. AdEase also protects ad revenue by surpassing most ad blockers. The server-side nature of AdEase is particularly useful around live content where ad delays are often commonplace.

“Delivering targeted ads on live linear OTT feeds for sports and live entertainment can be challenging – especially from a user experience, accuracy and scalability viewpoint; using the traditional methods of inserting mid-roll ads on the client-side causes buffering, latency and can allow the user to block those ads,” said Mark Wilson from Switch Media. “This partnership means our broadcast clients, already using our AdEase product, can at any stage decide to deliver targeted ads in real-time via SSAI in a given ad break via the SpotX platform, including live broadcast.”

AdEase benefits publishers and advertisers by improving the user experience (allowing for more engaged customers) with on the fly ad insertion during live TV, expanding the number of addressable devices through easy integrations, and by maximising, and protecting ad revenue by surpassing most ad blockers.

“As people consume video across different devices, SSAI provides an opportunity for broadcasters to overlay data and make their inventory more valuable to buyers increasing the yield,” said Christopher Blok, Country Manager, SpotX ANZ. “Addressable advertising sits at the forefront of broadcasters’ thinking now while server-side ad insertion, particularly for live simulcast, is a critical element for them and we are excited to be able to offer this end-to-end service for broadcasters with Switch Media, a product fit for the total video universe.”

From a SpotX media release.

Switch Media appoints former Ericsson executive as CEO

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Source: Mumbrella 09 March 2018

Australian streaming technology business, Switch Media has appointed former Ericsson executive Mark Johns to take over as CEO from Christopher Stenhouse, the company has announced.

 

Mark Johns Switch Media
The announcement:

Switch Media appoints former Ericsson executive as CEO

An experienced international broadcast and over the top (OTT) executive has taken the reins of one of Australia’s fastest growing streaming technology businesses as the sector braces itself for further growth in the coming years.

Switch Media, one of the world leaders in content streaming, has appointed Ericsson’s former Head of Media and Broadcast Technology, Mark Johns, as Chief Executive Officer, with co-founder and current CEO Christopher Stenhouse stepping into the role of Chief Financial Officer.

Switch Media, which was founded in a home office as a small YouTube like start-up 12 years ago before changing its focus to OTT technology solutions, has worked with most major broadcasters, including Seven, Ten, SBS, ABC and Foxtel, developed the Free to Air Broadcast industry apps for Freeview Australia and Freeview New Zealand, and delivers solutions for Federal Parliament and Melbourne’s RMIT.

Mark Johns, who while at Ericsson headed up the development of its Video On Demand technology platform Nuvu, previously worked for Switch Media when it was in its infancy and has also held senior roles in the radio, television and technology sectors over his 25 year career.

Mr Stenhouse, who founded the business with its current Chief Technology Officer, Luke Durham, said the appointment of Mark would ensure the business leveraged the strong tailwinds that the streaming industry was experiencing to continue its strong growth trajectory.

“Year on year since our inception, Switch Media has delivered more than 40 per cent growth and driven strong profitability to enable us to reinvest into the business and remain at the forefront of OTT technology,” Mr Stenhouse said.

“With the evolution of streaming continuing and showing no signs of abating locally or internationally, Mark’s long-held knowledge of Switch and his experience of the international OTT market will ensure that Switch Media is well placed to grow our slice of the OTT technology pie.”

Mr Johns said he was looking forward to further growing the Switch Media success story that he had been a part of in the early days when he played an instrumental role in securing Foxtel as a major customer for streaming of the 2012 London Olympics.

“This industry keeps evolving at rapid rates – from the participants offering video on demand (VOD) and subscription video on demand (SVOD) services through to the types of devices people want to access services on,” Mr Johns said.

“Switch has kept at the forefront of these changes and developed innovative solutions to some of the key challenges that the content owners face, from quality of the streaming service for the viewer to how they can best monetise their content.

“I am excited about the opportunity to take an already successful business and drive it to its next stage of growth in a market that is growing by more than 20 percent annually and seeing new entrants to the market.

“It is a really exciting time in the industry, with its strong growth trajectory being driven by three forces.

“Firstly, broadcasters want the experience provided by their streaming services to meet and increasingly exceed the experience of traditional broadcast.

“Secondly, we have new content players and owners (such as sporting associations) looking to build their own platforms that they can monetise.

“Finally, we are seeing new fields outside of the broadcast industry, such as the health, education and transport sectors, seeking access to high quality video streaming services.”

Proud end-to-end service provider for the Freeview FV roll out to Apple TV

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Switch Media is excited to have provided end-to-end development and delivery of the Freeview FV app roll out to the Apple TV and Apple TV 4K platforms. Delivery included app development, user experience and interface design, the provision of flexible API with support for complex business rules, Electronic Program Guide using Gracenote data, 3rd party player integration and OzTAM VPM analytics integration.

Now for the first time, viewers can stream all free-to-air TV in one place from the comfort of their home without the need for an antenna or traditional broadcast receiver. The FV Apple TV app delivers one of the most user-friendly Free-To-Air EPG’s in the market, enabling viewers to easily see what is coming up for the next 7 days, set favourites, and receive recommendations.

 

Read Freeview press release:

 

Freeview FV now available on the App Store for Apple TV

Watching your favourite TV programs is now even easier with Freeview FV, as the world-first free-to-air
TV live streaming app is now available on Apple TV 4K and Apple TV.

Freeview FV delivers live streaming from 20 free-to-air channels and catch-up content from all free-to-air
TV channels. The app also includes a TV guide, allows users to browse and search across all free-to-air TV,
set favourites, and provides show recommendations.

Freeview CEO Liz Ross said the addition of Freeview FV for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV was the latest
development for the platform and offers viewers even more choice in live and catch-up programs from the
comfort of their own homes on their TV.

“We are thrilled to have Freeview FV now available in the App Store for Apple TV, making live streaming
more accessible than ever. “We want everyone in every household to be able to watch free-to-air TV on their terms, where and when
they choose,” said Ross.

Launched in November 2016, Freeview FV is also available on iOS and Android mobile and tablets with

Chromecast and Apple TV support delivering TV straight into viewers’ hands.

Freeview FV delivers live streaming of 20 free-to-air TV channels and the catch-up content from all
networks with just one click. Available channels include: ABC, SBS, Seven, Channel 9, TEN, ONE, ELEVEN,
ABC COMEDY, ABC KIDS, ABC ME, ABC NEWS, SBS VICELAND, Food Network, NITV, 7TWO, 7Mate,
7Flix, Racing.com, 9Gem, 9Go! and 9Life.

Source: Freeview FV now available on the App Store for Apple TV, Freeview, 1 March 2018

 

 

 

 

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