National World launches Shots!
Leading media company National World plc today announces the launch of a new TV brand.
Shots! is a new way of doing television - a channel built using the best topical content from National World’s network of journalists around the UK. That means TV that’s straight from the community, fast and authentic.
As an innovative and market-leading media business, the launch of Shots! supports National World’s progressive strategy of creating increasingly exclusive, engaging and topical content. Shots! will focus on stories from around the UK, from the best of city life to the weird and wonderful, as well as expert insights into true crime, and the latest inside track for football fans.
Shots! is a unique service offering a diverse range of TV content across multiple platforms, including a new live service on Freeview channel 276. The specially programmed channel brings the best of Shots! to audiences, all day every day.
Central to Shots! is the new site www.ShotsTV.com where a wealth of on-demand video content is available and curated to provide the best customer experience on mobile or desktop. One of the new site’s features is a live feed of the Freeview channel to ensure customers without Freeview access can still enjoy the live programming.
The new brand supports National World’s strategy of creating increasingly specialised and audience-driven content, and making it available on customers’ preferred devices.
Strategy Director Alan Renwick said:
“We are now on a journey to a completely new way of creating TV. The days of distant shiny studios as a window into the world have gone. Life happens in real communities, it happens quickly and it needs to be treated with integrity and imagination. Viewers aren’t impressed by camera crews helicoptering in and never coming back. With hundreds of experienced journalists embedded in communities, using their experience and relationships to tell great stories in video format, we are going to reinvent TV for the 21st century. It won’t happen overnight, and our shows might be a bit rough and ready around the edges, but our programming will be authentic, topical, engaging and entertaining.”
Digital Director John Rowe said:
“We’ve seen an explosion in our video business over the last two years, with output, audience and revenue all skyrocketing. The launch of Shots! gives us the opportunity to bring the best of our reporters’ creativity to a wider audience, as well as creating a feedback loop so that we can fine tune the content that our customers want and commission that insight back into our network. We’re building a dynamic TV production marketplace within our own business.”
Shots! has been launched with the support of three key National World partners.
Simplestream has provided the core technology. Simplestream’s Head of Sales, Josh Harrington said: “We are delighted to be part of National World’s venture into the TV market. The platform we have built for Shots! has achieved an online and Freeview presence with a fast turnaround, and it now provides a scalable solution for further distribution of content in the future.”
Global Distribution Services have worked with National World to build the Freeview streaming channel. Managing Director Tanya Kronfli said “We are excited to introduce Shots! to the Freeview audience, a really original and vibrant content offering taking advantage of the fast changing TV market”.
Axiom Media is the monetisation partner for Shots! Commercial Director Jason Hill said: “Having worked with the National World team for some time and supported their strong video revenue growth, we are delighted to expand the partnership through the Shots! brand, which we expect to open up a highly engaged, large scale audience for our advertising customers.”
