Mediaworks joins Sky, TVNZ in banning Slingshot ads

Photo / NZPA

Mediaworks TV has joined TVNZ and Sky TV in banning Slingshot's latest ads promoting the ISP's 'Global Mode service.'

In a statement released this afternoon, Mediaworks - which owns TV3 and Channel Four - said it had been advised Slingshot's latest development to Global Mode may lead to a breach of copyright, and advertising that presented it as legitimate and legal was misleading, and may also be a breach of the Fair Trading Act.

The media company says it has informed Slingshot it will be withdrawing that advertising until complaints made to the Advertising Standards Authority were resolved.

Earlier today, a TVNZ spokesperson told the Herald the state broadcaster currently runs ads for Slingshot, but it has drawn the line at running advertising for its Global Mode service.

"It's simple really. It doesn't make any business sense to promote a competitor's service that encourages viewers to watch international programmes that we hold the exclusive rights to in NZ," the TVNZ spokesperson said.

Slingshot's latest TV adverts, which were banned by Sky TV yesterday, feature the ISP's Global Mode service, which makes it easy for users to access Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming video services.

The service works by tricking these sites that the person accessing it is doing so from the United States or United Kingdom.

Slingshot general manager Taryn Hamilton said TVNZ informed him today that it wouldn't run the ads.

"Sky and TVNZ need to wake up and smell the internet. People are accessing content from around the globe - Global Mode or not," Hamilton said.

"This is anti-competitive, undue censorship, and an example of old-school thinking," he said.

Watch one of the banned Slingshot adverts here: