TV Impacts / Revenue update

RTÉ's revenue is estimated to be down by 10% in October. Impacts on both terrestrial and satellite stations continue to vary across the main trading audiences. TV3 will be disappointed that impacts are in decline after months on the rise with Multichannel  Adults 15-34 down 8% and Multichannel  Adults 25-44 down 1%. RTÉ impacts were also down 12% for MC A15-34. Ratings have dropped YOY for flagship shows, The XFactor and The Apprentice which have impacted on ratings decline against younger audiences.

Multichannel Housewives with Children were the one audience that increased viewing across all stations. This was partly driven by a demand for news content with Sky News' coverage of the Michael Jackson and TV coverage of the recent  floods drawing large audiences. E4 impacts were down significantly in October 2010 relatively speaking, off a low base, October 2011 is looking stronger YOY for some audiences.

I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! 2011 launches

I'm a Celebrity returned to our screens this month with a strong launch, reaching a total of 959,000 viewers. An average of 491,000 individuals and 32% of 15-44 tuned in to see the latest celebrities tough it out in the jungle. This year's opening show was the highest rating launch of I'm a Celebrity in Ireland since the programme began.  

YouView hybrid TV/Video-on-Demand service set for 2012 launch

According to an article which appeared in The Irish Times this month, YouView, the much-delayed UK internet-connected TV service, looks set for an in-house trial in early 2012. By bringing video-on-demand to Freeview, the nine-year old British Digital Terrestrial Television service, YouView is one of a number of platforms that has the potential to transform how television is consumed and force marketers to rethink how they try to connect with consumers. YouView is one to watch because its set-top box promises to combine a number of developments that have taken place in the world of internet on the television, and television on the internet.

A joint venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, BT, TalkTalk and Arqiva, it merges existing DTT services with video-on-demand (VOD). Online catch-up services, such as the BBC's iPlayer, will be accessible via the same box as hundreds of content providers, including Sky TV, Amazon's DVD rental and streaming service LoveFilm (a rival to Netflix) and Guardian News Media. Alongside apps delivering VOD and other media, viewers will find old-school linear television with its electronic programme guide (EPG).

EPGs are undergoing their own evolution, encompassing search and recommendation technology gleaned online and becoming even better at capturing the eyeballs of TV viewers who are flickers at heart. YouView will feature what's known as a "backwards EPG" which allows viewers to trawl through the EPG for the previous day, and backwards for up to a week. Diehard linear TV watchers who hit the pub on a Friday night could, say, eliminate Monday morning dread by reliving Friday's television on a Sunday evening, switching between channels with the usual mix of curiosity and impatience – as if VOD didn't exist. A backwards EPG is available in the UK on Virgin's TiVo platform, while BSkyB has Sky Anytime+ which offers a VOD library to Sky Broadband customers. Other potential competitors come in the shape of smart TVs made by LG and Samsung. Both are believed to be set to launch second-generation Google TV in 2012.

Figures from IAB Ireland, the representative body for online advertisers, suggest there has been what chief executive Suzanne McElligott calls "dramatic" growth in online video advertising over the last six months, with advertisers attracted by its similarity and overlap with TV advertising. However, the tipping point is likely to be still around the corner – McElligott describes the current innovation in the online television market as "a golden egg opportunity".

While the UK industry reaches the trial stage for YouView, the Irish industry is figuring out how Saorview, the Irish DTT equivalent of Freeview, is going to look after analogue switch-off in 2012. Philippe Brodeur, a former TV3 executive and director of AerTV.ie, an online television streaming service launched by Magnet Networks says that "the meeting of TV and online is genuinely happening" and that "a cross-industry collaboration such as YouView requires a "really vibrant industry" with good working relationships between the broadcasters. He notes. "In Ireland, we have had 40 years of RTÉ and 10 years of RTÉ and TV3," . "It's a market size thing. It is what it is. But the web will make it more diverse."

Google + Introduces Branded Pages

Ireland is now one of the countries which can create business web pages on Google+.

The layout of the new branded pages will be similar to that of personal Google+ profiles with the addition of a square icon which specifies that it is a page rather than a profile. Users can add brands to their circles and once they do this, the brand's follower count will increase. Companies will also be able to create live 'hangouts'

The introduction of branded pages is Google's solution to providing an optimal experience for users in how they communicate with each other and with brands.

Google had this to say about their new feature, "For businesses and brands, Google+ pages help you connect with the customers and fans who love you. Not only can they recommend you with a +1, or add you to a circle…they can actually spend time with you face to face. All you need to do is start sharing, and you'll soon find the super fans and loyal customers that want to say hello."

Viral Ad Concept: Buymyface.com

Two Cambridge students from the UK have come up with a viral concept that they hope will help them to pay off their University debt. The pair are offering to paint an advertisement on their faces which they will wear for a day and then post about on their website, Facebook and Twitter profiles. Daily rates can be anything from £110 to £180 and local businesses can pay anything up to £2,500 for a whole week.

Disney and YouTube Sign Video Partnership

In the hopes of capturing new audiences through new distribution channels, Disney will enter into a content partnership with YouTube. James Pitaro, Disney Interactive's Co-President says the brand wants to "go where the audience is". The deal also benefits YouTube who are consistently on the lookout for credible brand partners which will provide an opportunity for more premium content to be brought to the site. Other Channel Partners include celebrities such as Madonna and Ashton Kutcher and Media companies such as the Wall Street Journal, The Onion and Demand Media.

Netflix signs content agreement with Miramax

Netflix has signed another content agreement – this time with Miramax – to bring more movies to its service when it launches in the UK and Ireland in early 2012. The Netflix service will let users stream films from their PCs, tablets, games consoles, internet-enabled TVs and mobile phones. The deal will see Miramax films such as Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Aviator, Chocolat, Scream and The Talented Mr Ripley arrive on Netflix when it launches in the UK and Ireland. "Netflix is proud to be able to offer the unmatched mix of award-winning, independent and commercially successful films Miramax is known for" said Ted Sarandos, Netflix Chief Content Officer. Netflix has already signed deals with MGM Studios and Lionsgate UK. The two previous agreements also included an exclusive deal which will see upcoming films such as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hunger Games arrive on Netflix a year after its theatrical release.

Huge Increase in Online Advertising

The latest IAB/PwC Adspend Survey for H1 2011 values the Irish online market at €64.9m, up from €53.9m in H1 2010. This represents a 20.5% increase year on year and surpasses industry predictions which estimated that 2011 adspend would grow by 10%. Online advertising spend ranked third after press and TV and outperformed radio, cinema and magazines. The biggest growth can be attributed to the display format which saw an increase of 41%. Search advertising also continues to perform strongly. This growth trend in online advertising spend is predicted to continue, bringing digital advertising to the core of the media mix.

August Cinema Admissions Rise

The latest cinema admissions data from Carlton Screen Advertising shows that more than 1.95 million Irish movie-goers went to their local cinema in August, an impressive 12.5% increase on August admissions for 2010. Driving this huge rise in cinema attendance figures were blockbuster releases such as The Inbetweeners and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which were responsible for drawing in the big crowds, each grossing €2.78 and €1.87 million respectively at the box office so far this year.

Ambient and Digital Out-of-Home market

The latest PML Ambient and Digital Market Review sets the value of the combined ambient and digital out of home market in Ireland for Q1-Q3 2011 at €18.58m. 'Traditional' ambient media such as trolley handles, Citybox and pub-based media accounts for the majority of this figure, with digital valued at €2.1m for 2011 to date. 2011 is the first year that Digital has been a significant enough factor to report on separately. This is mainly due to the expansion of existing digital formats such as C-Store screens and Supervalu scrollers and also the launch of new formats such as the CBS Outdoor D-Pods in Dundrum Town Centre. Retail-based digital accounts for over 60% of display value in 2011. The majority of the rest of the money has been spent on Bravo's Transvision screens at bus and rail stations and MyPlace Media's Splash Screens.

Sunday Business Post Launches Digital Platforms

This month the Sunday Business Post launched a new range of digital services. The newspaper now boasts a newly renovated website and both Smartphone and iPad apps. The Daily Business Post is the newspaper's new, free of charge daily news service. It can be accessed online and through the applications. This service will be live Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm and will have commentary and analysis from journalists and editors of the Sunday Business Post. Another new service is The Sunday Business Post's Premium content package. For a fee this can be accessed online and on Smartphone and iPad apps.

EBS and Irish Daily Mail back on board to sponsor Christmas FM

EBS and the Irish Daily Mail will sponsor Christmas FM for the third consecutive year. The station will broadcast its Christmas hits from the Alexander Hotel in Dublin for four weeks from November 29th. The sponsorship allows all funds raised to go directly to charity. Over the last three years the station has raised over €200,000 for its chosen charities.