SBS LEADS the WAY AS AUSTRALIA S FIRST BROADCASTER with A TRULY RESPONSIVE WEBSITE

SBS LEADS THE WAY AS AUSTRALIA'S FIRST BROADCASTER WITH A TRULY RESPONSIVE WEBSITE

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Media Release

SBS is Australia's only broadcaster with a truly responsive website - adjusting itself to a viewer's device - following the successful launch of its new Homepage, as well as the new Food, News, and SBS PopAsia websites.

In a significant redevelopment of the SBS digital network, the new format is built on a responsive and fluid grid framework that optimises viewing to desktop, tablet and mobile, meaning it will adjust its layout to fit whichever device viewers are using, or depending on the size of the browser window on widescreen monitors.

SBS Chief Digital Officer Marshall Heald said, This is leading-edge design, enabling SBS audiences to get the best content on any screen, anywhere, at any time. It will allow for a greater user experience, with a stronger visual layout to help our audiences discover and navigate through SBS's quality content, readily available on all devices.

SBS is powering ahead as a leader in the online and digital space. The functionality, platform stability, user interface, design, ease of navigation, and of course the content itself, have all contributed to the growth in our traffic and users. With this refresh we will continue to focus on deepening engagement with our audiences, who come to SBS for outstanding content from Australia and the world.

The new SBS homepage format, which is highly visual and tablet-friendly, will boost traffic even further. It features the best of SBS , offering a live guide to what's on all SBS TV and radio channels, with entry points to SBS Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels. The new format transforms the look and feel of the website to reflect SBS as a modern broadcaster and will be the foundation for a range of new features and functionality tools that will be rolled out across the different sites in coming months.

For the SBS News website, this includes improved video and gallery tools, smarter ways of delivering breaking news, and higher quality presentation of the best content from SBS's leading news programs - World News Australia, Dateline, Insight, NITV News, Living Black and The Feed. Multimedia, social integration and interactive content will feature strongly, reflective of the way audiences want to consume their news.

The SBS Food website is one of SBS's most popular online destinations. Updated site content includes thousands of recipes, many featuring video or audio instructions, catch -up TV via On Demand and exclusive online-only content from SBS Food programs. There are also presenter profiles and interviews with top celebrity chefs, how-to' guides, competitions, the most popular recipes from Feast magazine, plus the introduction of new food columnists and theme-months . With the new, visually rich website, it's easier for audiences to search and share recipes with friends.

SBS PopAsia is growing from strength to strength. Building on its social media success, SBS has launched the SBS PopAsia website, devoted to Asian pop culture. The site includes the latest Asian pop news and events, the daily Pop blog, exclusive Asian pop interviews and features, live audio streaming of SBS PopAsia radio 24/7, live video streaming from the SBS radio studio webcam, catch-up viewing for PopAsia TV, and social media interaction during live TV and radio shows.

Over 200,000 online and mobile streams are requested every month for PopAsia radio. In the last three months, the SBS PopAsia YouTube channel received an average of 278,069 monthly views, making it the number one SBS entertainment offering on YouTube. PopAsia also has the number one digital radio Facebook page in Australia. (i)

Overall, SBS Online audience engagement (as measured by total user visits) has increased 65% year-on-year. The new SBS News and SBS Food sites in particular have grown since relaunch. Year-to-date, SBS News and Current Affairs sites have recorded a 30% increase in user sessions on the same time last year, while SBS Food sites have increased 73% over the same period. (ii)

sbs.com.au achieved its highest Unique Audience on record in July 2013: 1,357,000. This improved on the previous record, set in July 2012, by 215,000 (+18.8%). Traffic to the site was boosted by the Tour De France, with 354,000 people visiting the Cycling Central website. (iii)

ENDS

i Source: Online Circle Digital Australian Facebook Performance Report, June 2013

ii Source: Nielsen Market Intelligence, 31-12-2012 to 01-09-2013 vs 02-01-12 to 01-09 -2013; SBS Food, SBS (Special Broadcasting Service), SBS Network (News And Current Affairs).

iii Source: Nielsen Online Ratings, Hybrid, Unique Audience, SBS (Special Broadcasting Service)', SBS Cycling Central'.

LINK:	http://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/news-media-releases/view/id/769/h/SBS-LE...
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