New features coming to 7plus in 2024 include start over, live pause and rewind, skip credits, picture-in-picture, and even more personalisation features to keep users engaged.
Next year will also bring a suite of new advertising products on 7plus, including dynamic live overlays, additional premium interactive ads and more formats for non-intrusive sport and FAST channel commercialisation.
Seven West Media chief digital officer, Gereurd Roberts, said 7plus is already the most advanced AVOD service in Australia.
"Next year we will extend that lead, as we continue to build out our world-class product," he told the Seven Upfront 2024.
“In 7plus we have a platform that goes well beyond the scope of traditional BVOD and is a premium streaming destination in itself, with the content pillars of live, on demand and FAST channels driving growth.
“More than 70% of the content on 7plus is exclusive to it and almost 60% of all viewing comes from non-broadcast content,” he said.
Full digital rights to the AFL will be kicking in from September next year and the following month cricket arrives on 7plus.
Seven West Media CEO James Warburton said the addition of AFL and cricket to 7plus will be the biggest game changer in the history of Australian streaming.
"Together, they will represent four billion new minutes of viewing on 7plus a year," he said.
“That is the equivalent in minutes of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and FIFA Women’s World Cup combined – not 17 days or five weeks but 52 weeks of the year, every year.
"It’s a whole new ball game, for Seven, for sport fans and for our commercial partners.”
The FIFA Women’s World Cup semi final between the Matildas and England tallied 957,000 viewers on 7plus, becoming the most streamed event ever in Australia. The AFL Grand Final had 441,000 viewers on 7plus, the biggest ever audience for an AFL match on a streaming platform.
The partnership Seven and NBCUniversal International Networks & Direct-to- Consumer set up a year ago has seen NBCUniversal content now accounting for 10% of all viewing on 7plus, and consumption has increased more than 60% quarter-on-quarter since launch in January.
Next year 7plus will also continue to expand its collection of FAST channels, with a strong emphasis on local content.
Over 30 of Seven’s FAST channels are exclusive to 7plus and feature a curated schedule of Australian programs, including Home and Away, Better Homes & Gardens and Border Security. Popular FAST channels on 7plus include Blue Lights, Blue Heelers, Crazy In Love, Cooking and Culture, and ONE Fight Replays.
Roberts said FAST channels are an integral pillar of the content strategy on 7plus, alongside the video-on-demand and live streaming content.
“Great local content resonates the most with Australians, and over 70% of our viewed FAST content is premium Australian programming, with more than 90% of this exclusive to 7plus," he said. Our focus on home-grown storytelling and Australian voices has enabled us to forge a deep connection with our audience, who value authenticity and relevance.”
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