SYDNEY: MTV Networks and TV1 have joined forces to create a 50/50 joint venture that will deliver a stronger, fully integrated, multi-platform sales network with 20 channels on the Foxtel and Austar platforms and more than 40 websites.
The combined sales house will represent on air and online MTV Networks Australia brands including MTV, MTV Classic, TMF, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr, mtv.com.au, neopets.com and shockwave.com, which are all currently represented internally by MTV Networks Australia.
It also includes TV1, SCI FI Channel, Movie One and Two, Movie Extra, Movie Greats, Family Movie Channel, World Movies, Stvdio, CNBC, Starpics 1, Starpics 2, Starpics HD and Aurora, which are all currently represented by Full Circle Media, a JV between TV1 and Full Circle Holdings.
TV1 has agreed to merge Full Circle Media into the sales house. The joint team will be located at MTV’s offices in Sydney and Melbourne. A spokesperson from MTV confirmed there would be a "small" number of redundancies.
Full Circle Media founder and long-time industry executive Brian Gallagher has been appointed chief executive of the yet to be named company.
Sharb Farjami, formerly vice president, ad sales, MTV Networks Australia & New Zealand will become national sales director, reporting directly into Gallagher.
The joint venture, said Gallagher, redefines and lifts subscription TV advertising sales.
“This gives us an even more competitive position against free-to-air networks. It’s an era of evolving media and with our new structure we are uniquely positioned to make a real impact in the new world of marketing,” he said.
“And by ramping up our offering with deeper resources, our advertisers and brand partners will have greater access to even more creative ideas and individual solutions”
The joint venture sales house will be operational from Monday May 24 with the company trading from July 1.
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