Australian broadcaster SBS (Special Broadcasting Service) has announced that it will allow customers to opt out of specific advertising categories including gambling and alcohol.
At its annual Upfronts event, the company unveiled the new ad experience options that will allow consumers of its On Demand streaming service to block ads from companies or industries that they are not interested in. In its announcement, the company stated that the move is a positive one for the gambling industry with Tabcorp endorsing the service.
The service is due to launch at some point in Q1 2024 while users that are interested in the service can register from today.
Speaking of the move, SBS managing director James Taylor said:
“SBS already takes significant steps to ensure we are meeting the responsible advertising expectations audiences have of us. We have age restrictions on SBS On Demand and we remove certain ad categories from particular programming, especially shows that deal with difficult or sensitive topics, such as Addicted Australia.
For certain categories, SBS will utilise the benefits that digital provides and put greater control into the audiences’ hands. Audiences have always had complete control over what they watch on SBS On Demand. Now they will benefit further by having greater control over the ads they see as well. The advertiser benefits by not paying to reach people who have no interest in their product. This is responsible advertising at its best.”
SBS Media’s National Manager, Operations and Commercial Product, Lee Callagher added:
“For the first time, we are allowing users the opportunity to better control their own advertising experience by providing opt-out preferences. This ensures that brand dollars are served to the most receptive and engaged audiences.
While SBS On Demand already serves viewers fewer ads than competing services, which can boost campaign results, we’re also introducing Solus Impact, a product that eliminates all but one sponsored ad in a show, providing an uninterrupted viewing experience and unrivalled brand recall. This is a win-win for brands and viewers.”
Vanessa Sanford, general manager marketing and Media Tabcorp:
“Tabcorp is an industry leader for responsible advertising standards in the wagering industry, so we’re proud to be partnering with SBS in this audience-first approach. This is an innovative initiative that ensures advertising reaches a receptive audience.
Gambling Ad Spend in Australia
Earlier in October, The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) published a report on gambling advertising in Australia revealing that online gambling providers are the most prolific advertisers in the industry. The report revealed that ads for the online gambling industry make up 64% of all ad spend in the Australian market.
The report also revealed that there are over 1 million gambling ads on free-to-air TV each year while the ACMA also noted that around 73% of Australian adults gambled at least once a year.
According to the latest Global Gambling Statistics, Australians have the highest gambling losses per person in the world. Each year the average gambler loses approximately AU$1870 ($1200/€1118).
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.