TVNZ and Sky: From bidding war to lobbying together

Media heavyweights from left: Sky TV CEO John Fellet, MediaWorks CEO Michael Anderson and TVNZ CEO Kevin Kenrick. Photo/supplied

They may have been bidding against each other for rights to broadcast the Rugby World Cup, but TVNZ and Sky TV were playing nice this morning at the launch of industry group ThinkTV.

The respective chief executives Kevin Kenrick and John Fellet, as well as MediaWorks chief Michael Anderson, presented a united front at the panel, promoting the scale and effectiveness of television advertising in New Zealand.

"ThinkTV allows the industry to speak as one and highlight how advertisers can leverage TV to reach the biggest audiences and deliver business results," Kenrick said.

The launch of ThinkTV comes a day after Sky told the market it was not the preferred bidder for the Rugby World Cup rights, which the Herald understands TVNZ and Spark have made a leading joint bid for.

The move wiped $70 million off Sky's market value two days after chief executive Fellet announced his plan to resign later this year after 27 years with the company.

It's one of the first times New Zealand's leading free-to-air and pay-TV players have come together to deliver a unified message, although all three were quick to point out they would continue to compete "vigorously" with each other in the market.

Aside from a few jokes onstage, Fellet and Kenrick avoided the rights topic, sticking instead to the advertising message.

"TV is a powerhouse for advertisers," Kenrick said.

"In today's world of multiplatform TV, we have more to offer advertisers than ever before, whether that's building brands, shifting perceptions or driving business sales."

ThinkTV has been set up to lead research and provide information and insights for the industry into advertising across free-to-air, subscription and digital television.

It will also host local and international experts at industry events.

Recent issues around Facebook's use of personal data, and the growing availability of media on social sites was discussed, with Fellet saying the timing of the launch was ideal.

"Never has there been more quality content available to Kiwis and more choice and flexibility as to how content can be consumed, than right now," he said.

"The research, tools and insights generated from Think TV will be invaluable in helping advertisers and their agencies get the best out of today's multi-platform TV environment."

ThinkTV would be assisted by research company Nielsen and the Communications Council among other organisations.