Facebook plays down 'special arrangement' with Ten's Connect

By By David Blight | 13 August 2012
 

Following reports Facebook has joined Ten's Connect offering, the social media giant has argued there is no special commercial relationship with Ten, while the broadcaster said it has never claimed there was an arrangement.

Last week, Network Ten confirmed to AdNews Facebook had joined its cross-platform play Connect on a “campaign-by-campaign, client-by-client” basis.

While some interpreted this to mean a particular strategic relationship had been forged with Ten, Facebook's new interim country head Liam Walsh denied any special relationship.

“There is absolutely no special relationship with Ten,” he said. “It's all on a case-by-case basis and it's the same for Channel Nine and Channel Seven. Anyone, any media company, can come to us.”

This is not the first time Facebook has denied such a relationship. A tie-up with Ten was flagged earlier this year, but Facebook denied any relationship at the time.

Ten told AdNews it never claimed a special tie-up with Facebook.

A spokesperson said: “We’ve not said we have a 'special' or 'exclusive' relationship with Facebook. What we have said is that Facebook is part of Connect on a campaign-by-campaign, client-by-client basis.”

Ten established Ten Connect mid last year as a cross-platform sales initiative. The move was a bid to emulate the other broadcaster's cross-platform plays, Nine's Powered and Seven's SMG Red.

For some time, the market has been wondering how Ten will improve its struggling digital sales capabilities in comparison to Seven and Nine, which are linked with Yahoo!7 and Ninemsn respectively.

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