MTV Australia to launch first livestream-to-TV format

The future of television programming is headed to Australia in 2017. Creative incubator Viacom Labs has partnered with MTV Australia to deliver the first TV show that integrates viewers’ live stream content from across the world.

The innovative programming format, which is currently without an official name, will feature on-air feeds of real-time live stream content during a scheduled television program on the MTV Music channel in Australia.

Hand-selected and curated by the series’ yet-to-be-named producer, the content is pulled from most popular live streaming platforms including Facebook Live, YouTube Live and Twitch, provided viewers use the designated hashtags.

The result is a new spin on interactive television programming, ultimately redefining the viewer experience and the ways in which content for TV programming is developed and consumed.

Interestingly, the viewing numbers from Labs’ testing period indicated that more than double of MTV Australia’s average viewership tuned in to experience the first glimpses of the program.

Susan Claxton, co-head of Viacom Labs said: “Viacom Labs’ mission is to constantly evolve how fans connect to the content they love and give them opportunities to make it their own.

“Labs’ global livestream-to-TV experiment with our amazing colleagues at MTV Australia demonstrates what’s possible when we work together to leverage the dynamics of the social web and the massive scale and context of linear television.”

Vice President and Head of MTV Asia and Pacific, Simon Bates, highlighted the significance of such a program debuting in the Australian market.

“Marrying the technology of livestreaming with a linear broadcast catapults fan engagement into the 21st century and we’re excited to be the first market to bring the concept to life,” he said.