SBS to Let Streaming Viewers Block Gambling, Alcohol and Fast-food Ads

Hybrid public broadcaster SBS is introducing controls for viewers to avoid gambling, alcohol and fast-food ads on its digital streaming platform SBS On Demand as part of its responsible advertising practices.

The initiative, announced at the broadcaster’s Upfront event in Sydney on Tuesday, will be introduced in the first quarter of 2024.

Managing director James Taylor said the move was unrelated to incoming legislation on wagering ads.

“Audiences have complete control over the content they choose to watch on streaming platforms, and we’d like to give audiences a degree of control over the ads they see as well,” said Taylor.

The three advertising categories were logical choices and the ones people tended to have the strongest views on, he said.

The “solid start” was another step in increasing personalisation of services, and a demonstration of the broadcaster’s responsible advertising practices, Taylor said.

“We are providing audience members the opportunity to tell us that they don’t want to see ads in one of these categories, and I think that’s a really positive demonstration of our commitment to audiences,” he said.

“We’re not judging the products, as evidenced by the fact that we have launch partners in those categories. What we’re saying is that our commercial clients have an incentive not to advertise to people who have expressed a view about their products.”

Drinks giant Endeavour Group and wagering firm Tabcorp have backed the change.

Tabcorp’s general manager of marketing and media, Vanessa Sanford, called it an innovative initiative “that ensures advertising reaches a receptive audience”.

Jo Rose, Endeavour’s chief marketing officer, said the group was committed to “maintaining a culture of industry leadership in the responsible service, ranging, sale and marketing of alcohol”.

Unlike national broadcaster ABC, SBS derives significant revenue through commercial avenues, alongside government funding. Its recent annual report showed $173 million was raised from advertising, sponsorship and client service activities in the 2022-23 financial year, a 12.7% rise on the previous year.