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Seven West Media has made a strategic investment in Australian media games and technology company Aura to provide groundbreaking engagement for its market-leading BVOD service, 7plus.
The investment will integrate Aura’s next-generation technology into 7plus, creating an immersive experience.
Aura uses video game technology that can stream content. Its immersive platform enhances the on-screen experience for viewers and advertisers with an interactive user interface.
Operating like a video game, Aura’s advanced technology will take the user and advertising experience to the next level by consolidating content, data, social and transactional capabilities into one environment, allowing the viewer to take full control of the experience.
Functional on 7plus, Aura allows viewers to easily switch between various interactive options — including alternate camera angles, e-commerce, free-to-play games, live stats, and more — without losing the primary live feed and experiencing a “sticky “ To create an environment that engages the audience longer.
Gereurd Roberts, Chief Digital Officer of Seven West Media: “Aura is recognized worldwide and its unique technology will redefine the content experience for Australian audiences through 7plus and take our premium personalized user interface to the next level.
“With Aura, 7plus can merge interactive virtual reality and augmented reality experiences and easily integrate social feeds and e-commerce with live and on-demand content, bringing a new and exciting dimension to our premier sports and tentpole programming gives.
“Aura has worked with some of the best sporting codes around the world. For Seven’s unbeatable sports programming – which will include full digital rights to the AFL from 2025 – this technology gives us the potential to give viewers the ability to access stats during events through live data visualization, buy merchandise as they watch , change camera angle in real. Time, chat with other fans and more without leaving the action.”
Kurt Burnette, Chief Revenue Officer of Seven West Media: “Our investment in Aura will redefine the way streaming is delivered and consumed in Australia. It will create new advanced, flexible advertising solutions that help brands stay ahead of the competition and engage viewers in hyper-contextualized, personalized and innovative new ways on 7plus.
“Aura is a disruptive digital player that will help marketers capture and retain the attention of a younger audience who have shifted from passive television and grew up with dual screening and are in full control of what they watch, when whatever it wants. The Twitch-style features enable interactive elements that brands can use for various advertising and sponsorship opportunities.
“Our partnership with Aura is the latest example of Seven’s digitally-centric strategy to invest in the future of media, pushing the boundaries of content delivery and finding new ways to reach audiences at scale.”
Antony Arena, Chief Executive Officer of Aura: “We are thrilled to partner with the Seven Network to shape the future of interactive entertainment and bring our native technology to Australian audiences and advertisers. We could not have wished for a better partner in this market.”
Seven West Media’s investment in Aura, under its Seven West Ventures banner, was included in the company’s 2021-22 financial results and aims to enhance both Seven’s digital capabilities and Aura’s growth through its unbeatable size and national footprint to accelerate range.
Commercial opportunities with Aura and 7plus are expected to launch in 2023.
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