National World taps Simplestream, launches new TV brand Shots!

London, 15/08/2023 - National World PLC is a leading UK multimedia company operating over 100 brands in the news, lifestyle, sport and business segments.  It operates in website, app, newsletter, events and print formats, serving markets around the United Kingdom. National World chose Simplestream as a technology partner to provide the core tech stack for the launch of Shots!, a new TV brand built by using the best topical content provided by a large network of journalists based in UK communities. The launch is aimed at supporting National World’s strategy of creating exclusive, engaging content across multiple platforms.

With a quick turnaround, Simplestream deployed its proprietary Channel Studio to create the Shots! TV channel in the cloud, utilising the existing media catalogue of National World hosted by a third-party online video platform, Dailymotion.

The integration is a unique example, within the global marketplace, of a channel assembler that allows the creation of virtual and FAST channels – with ad marker insertion to support SSAI – leveraging assets that are stored with a third-party video vendor. Furthermore, the new feature developed for Channel Studio makes the product even more flexible, for it can be deployed by customers even when not licensing Simplestream’s video platform Media Manager for their content library.

App Platform was also used to build a fully functional and mobile-responsive video web portal, with support for server-side and client-side ad insertion, thanks to the integration with National World’s monetisation partner, Axiom.

Simplestream’s Head of Sales, Josh Harrington, said:

‍We are delighted to be part of National World’s venture into the TV market. The platform we have built for Shots! has achieved an online and Freeview presence with a fast turnaround, and it now provides a scalable solution for further distribution of content in the future.

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Alan Renwick, National World’s Strategy Director, highlighted:

‍Shots! is an important strategic move for National World as we follow our customers’ increasing desire to consume content in video format, and to be able to access this content on the device of their choice. Simplestream delivered a fast and effective solution enabling us to package our video into a TV channel and site, with the foundation for further distribution channels in the future.

As one of the largest news publishing organisations in the UK, National World joins Simplestream’s growing portfolio of brands in the News vertical, including notable broadcast news channels operating in the UK. The launch of an expanded set of OTT services for National World’s brand Shots! follows a number of announcements of new projects undertaken by Simplestream in 2023, including TVSN, GAAGO, TELUS, and QVC on Sky Glass.