What you need to know:

• 10 ViacomCBS looks set to be the first Australian broadcaster to commit to net zero emissions amid a major push environmental and social push it believes reflect advertiser and audience wants: More diversity, more social justice, more advocacy.
• The network's upfronts also touted new dynamic e-commerce formats, the arrival of ads into its subscription streaming service and a 'happy hour' where brands can pay to give BVOD audiences an hour without any other ads.
• While 10Play is well behind rivals on logged-in audience IDs, 10 ViacomCBS said it had notched 79 per cent growth year on year and expects to soon pass five million user IDs.

10 ViacomCBS' upfronts will likely hit all the right notes of brands pushing diversity and sustainability mandates. The network flagged an imminent commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions and a major shift to programming that better represents all of Australia.

The network also hinted that its plans to introduce ads to subscription streaming service Paramount+ are close to launch and said brands would be able to fund an experiment with reduced adloads as a "gift" to viewers.

The network is last of the three major stations to unveil its 2022 content slate and innovations in advertising, and it immediately acknowledged it has “a minority share – we know”.

While Seven has announced “shoppable ads”, which use artificial intelligence to recognise products and embed e-commerce in its content, and Nine heads into attention metrics, launched a Salesforce deal alongside LiveRamp and Adobe, 10 ViacomCBS touted two new broadcast video on demand (BVOD) ad products: dynamic ads and an ad-free “Happy Hour”.

Per Chief Sales Officer Rod Prosser, 'Dynamic e-Trade Placements' mean advertisers can change pricing, images and offers every five minutes. “E-commerce is 10Play's biggest growth area, and this product will further enhance brand experience on the platform,” said Prosser.

Meanwhile, Happy Hour is “the ultimate premium viewing experience” on 10Play, where a brand can show a full, 60-second TVC with an adjacent tag before an hour of ad-free content.

Network bosses have long debated the need for lower ad loads at higher prices. 10 ViacomCBS will now invite brands to test the theory, telling audiences to “take a load off on us and enjoy the next hour, ad free. Perfect for a product launch, to build brand awareness, consideration and brand affinity,” Prosser said. The Upfronts also flagged Promote Oz USA, a new campaign that will give Aussie brands access to ViacomCBS’s ecosystem and inventory in the US. The network hopes that will hold significant appeal to travel and tourism categories as borders reopen.

10 ViacomCBS remains some way behind its major rivals on first party data, though has notched a 79 per cent increase year on year to 4.4m. In the coming two months, the network said hopes 10Play will reach five million logged-in users.

Seven hit 10 million after the Tokyo Olympics and is eyeing 13 million following the Winter Olympics in 2022, while Nine claims 14 million user IDs.

But Prosser hinted that publishers and broadcasters may yet find challenges ahead around audience data. He flagged the network’s partnership with LiveRamp, and specifically its Safe Haven product, claiming it provides “advertisers with a secure way to bring their own data sets to life”.

Prosser stated 10 ViacomCBS has been careful with the data partnerships it has struck ahead of planned changes to the federal Privacy Act that may have a significant impact on how data is shared, consent is tracked, with significant penalties for breaches.

“As we move into a cookieless future, we have created a Safe Haven where you can bring your own first party data and match it  with ours without compromising your data,” Prosser said, with the network keeping "the long game in mind.”

Ad funded SVOD

Prosser told Mi3 earlier this year that the A-Leagues would be the test bed for ad-funded SVOD. Currently, US viewers pay $4.99 a month to access the platform with ads and $9.99 for the ad-free version. Advertising-based video on demand (AVOD) has been flagged as the next big thing since at least 2020, but no streaming service has yet introduced the cheaper tier in Australia. Ten looks set to be the first.

“Paramount+ acknowledges the changes in consumption behaviour, and for our clients and agency partners, it offers unique integration opportunities like no other global streaming player,” Prosser said. “So you can further reach those who were once seen as unreachable.”

First network Net Zero plan?

As the world flies into Glasgow for COP26 to talk about cutting emissions, Prosser said the network will launch a Net Zero campaign “shortly ... which will outline our commitment to achieve carbon neutrality across our Australian operations,” he said.

It won’t be an easy task. Television and film production remain some of the most energy and carbon intensive parts of the media supply chain. And for all the areas in which 10 ViacomCBS is catching up with other networks, Nine and Seven are no closer to net zero carbon emissions.

It’s also where many advertisers and some of the major holding groups area heading: GroupM CEO Christian Juhl told Mi3 last month the agency would “absolutely” be driving decarbonisation goals along its supply chain, which includes publishers.

“Yes, absolutely, we'll push it down to every single supplier vendor that WPP works with, including all of our media vendors within GroupM. We're starting that process,” Juhl said. WPP is committed to net zero by 2030, but half of its production emissions come from production house Hogarth.

Telstra has also stated that it will ultimately hold its supply chain – including media – to its own mandates.

While blue chip advertisers are leading the charge, Prosser stated 10 ViacomCBS audiences are also demanding change: “The research shows our audience is progressive, highly social, and more engaged in the world and the environment around them,” he said. “We continue to understand their values and their value to advertisers.”

The network heavily emphasised its diversity and inclusion credentials, and asked agencies to “hold us – and the rest of the industry – to account”. It means righting wrongs, Prosser said, giving the examples of women’s locker rooms at football stadiums. Only one in five have them. 10 ViacomCBS is the broadcast partner of The A-Leagues, which last month merged the men and women’s football leagues into one organisation. For next year it has also landed the FA Cup to its football slate.