Trouble Signs Cross Platform AFP Deal
Trouble, the Flextech owned youth entertainment channel, has announced its first-ever long-form, cross platform advertiser funded programming (AFP) agreement.
Trouble has signed the deal with Pitch, the mobile phone entertainment service, to co-fund a 25 x 30 minute TV series, My TV: Homegrown.
The deal will also see branded content from My TV: Homegrown and exclusive user-generated content (UGC) made available as mobisodes through Pitch.
My TV: Homegrown launched on Trouble at the beginning of November and is Trouble’s first-ever fully user generated television show.
The show is based entirely on content that will be submitted to the channel’s website, www.troublehomegrown.co.uk.
The exclusive mobisodes will be made available across all mobile networks through Pitch. The TV series will be topped and tailed with 10 second Pitch branded idents, produced by Duke.
The UGC presenter featured in each week’s episode will direct viewers to a bespoke Trouble mobile phone wapsite on Pitch, where viewers will be able to watch exclusive UGC clips originating from the show.
Claire Heys, controller of commercial partnerships at Flextech and UKTV, said: “This first multi-platform AFP deal is a ground-breaking move for Trouble as it continues to develop its user-generated and mobile TV strategy.
“We’re very excited to be working with Pitch. We have combined our shared values and brand synergies to create unique content for our consumers.”
Andrew Kendrick, head of marketing at Pitch, said: “It’s a great deal for both parties. Pitch customers are always up for new and interesting content and that’s exactly what they’ll get from My TV.
“Pitch gets strong brand exposure plus original, creative and irreverent content, and it’s also really exciting for us to be working with Trouble to bring My TV to life on mobile. The type of interactivity that you can get between mobile and TV gives us many creative opportunities to explore over the coming months.”
Recent research from Nokia said that the key to future success for mobile TV will be interactivity and personalisation (see Interactivity And Personalisation Key To Success Of Mobile TV).
Flextech Television: www.flextech.co.uk