One of MultiChoice’s new rivals in pay TV, On Digital Media (ODM), has awarded a R120m advertising contract to Net#work BBDO in Cape Town, signalling that it is ready to take the fight in satellite TV to the incumbent operator.
It is said to be one of the largest contracts to go to a Cape Town-based advertising agency in years. Net#work BBDO Cape Town MD Eric D’Oliveira says the agency will help ODM with its “ambition to provide real choice in the pay-TV market”. “A budget of that size will definitely give us the creative leeway to take the competition head-on,” he says. “We are confident that the sizeable launch campaign will quickly position ODM as a viable alternative.”
ODM CEO Vino Govender says the company has identified an “untapped market” of 3,8m potential customers. ODM is one of three new pay-TV operators expected to enter the SA market next year. The other two are Super5Media, formerly part of Telkom, and niche player Walking on Water Television.
The scale of the advertising contract signals the seriousness with which ODM plans to tackle the incumbent operator.
ODM is expected to begin broadcasting by April 2010. — Staff reporter, TechCentral