Seven plans 7plus channel roll-out for Tokyo 2020

Australian commercial broadcaster Seven plans to launch another six channels across its 7plus digital service for its coverage of the Tokyo 2020 summer Olympic Games.

The Ad News website said that up to 40 live streams, covering every sporting competition at the Games, would be available via the channels through the on-demand platform.

Aside from 7plus, the Seven and 7Two channels will also host blanket coverage of the event.

Additionally, Tokyo 2020 coverage will be available via other platforms operated by Seven’s parent company, Seven West Media, including the 7News website, Pacific Magazines and the West Australian newspaper and website.

With exactly 12 months to go until the start of the Games, the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Channel has also launched on 7plus in a bid to stoke interest ahead of the event.

Seven is hoping that its digital and online coverage of the Games will be accessed by as many as five million Australians, considering many of the competitions will be held in a favourable time zone for its audience.

Seven’s chief revenue officer and director of Olympics, Kurt Burnette, said that the media company would deploy “the most-advanced ad tech and measurement metrics ever used for a sporting event” to enable brands to connect with target audiences.

Seven acquired the rights for the event just over five years ago as part of a deal spanning three editions of the Olympics, comprising the 2016 and 2020 summer Games in Rio and Tokyo, and the 2018 winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.