- SBS to continue innovation in audio with SBS PopDesi to rebrand in 2024.
- Audience favourite SBS Chill coming to SBS On Demand as FAST channel in 2024.
- SBS to launch digital ad insertion for its multilingual audio content, opening more connections to diverse Australians in their preferred language.
31 October 2023
SBS Audio will continue its rapid digital evolution in 2024 with the world’s most linguistically diverse audio network outlining a number of major announcements aimed at positioning it as a clear leader in the digital audio space.
Among the announcements, made at the SBS 2024 Upfronts, was confirmation that SBS PopDesi would rebrand to transform the channel into a more holistic offering catering to the more than 1.5 million Australians who speak a South Asian language.
“This new destination channel will be home to all of our South Asian language programs, including Bangla, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhala and Urdu1, and will have a whole new digital presence and podcast aimed at speaking to new generations of audiences,” said David Hua, SBS Director of Audio and Language Content.
“In one place you will be able to get SBS language programs, news, current affairs, and also our wonderful entertainment and music offerings. We’re excited to consolidate our offerings for our South Asian audiences in this destination channel.”
SBS publishes in more than 60 languages – this year adding Bislama, Malay, Oromo, Telugu and Tetum
SBS also confirmed that audience favourite SBS Chill – an audio music station famous for its laid-back listening experience with chillout, downtempo, and ambient tunes from around the world – would become a video channel on SBS On Demand.
“This move reflects changing consumer habits and the centrality of the smart TV in today’s homes. Already one third of SBS Chill’s consumption comes from televisions and the move to SBS On Demand will only grow it further,” said Hua. “The SBS Chill experience on SBS On Demand includes beautiful, calming scenery that matches the mood of the music and the time of day, bringing some serenity to your living rooms. It will be Australia’s smoothest, calmest “FAST” channel.”
Design of what SBS Chill on SBS On Demand will look like
In early 2023 SBS Radio went live with a rebrand to SBS Audio that also saw it introduce one unified digital experience for the first time. Improvements included better showcasing of podcasts, individual station pages, and music search features.
Building on these digital changes, SBS confirmed that it had gone live with dynamic ad insertion on digital (livestreams) across all of the SBS Audio product suite.
“This move has major audience benefits with listeners now able to hear the ads most suited to them,” said Adam Sadler, SBS Director of Media Sales. “There is more than $159 billion spent each year by multilingual Australians and SBS Audio is a unique gateway to the more than 5.6 million Australians who speak a language other than English.
“Through measurable digital audio and award winning podcasts you get a clear sense of the audience and the powerful incremental reach that can be achieved by having SBS Audio as part of a marketer’s media schedule.”
Background: SBS Audio is a clear leader in audio streaming:
- In March 2023 SBS Radio went live with its rebrand to SBS Audio and introduced one unified digital experience across its digital platforms.
- SBS also announced it had conducted its five yearly Language Services Review adding Bislama, Malay, Oromo, Telugu and Tetum to its schedule.
- The broadcaster also announced a new program schedule which has allowed it to focus on more live content during the day and catch-up on demand in the evening.
- SBS was also named Podcaster of the Year at the 2022 Australian Podcast Awards and has led the way in launching diverse and dynamic podcasts through its public callouts to creators.
For a pdf copy of this media release, click here.
