Recently, Silver TV was launched in Chile, through Claro and VTR, a channel aimed at the segment of adults over 60 years of age. It was created by experienced executive Jaime Boestch (current Digital Director of Chilevisión) who was recently joined by Javier Villanueva (former Mediapro and Mega TV), who currently also has a company, BoxBox, focused on the development of sports and content IPs.
Villanueva explained to PRODU that the signal’s business model seeks to break the stereotypes associated with the elderly and monetize the community through five income verticals: pay TV distribution, traditional advertising sales, branded contentnew businesses (events, licensing and products) and internationalization.
“This is not the geriatrics channel at all. It is a channel that takes charge of all the verticals and issues that concern this community, which is an active, curious generation that wants to learn, be informed, entertained and that has a lot to contribute,” said Villanueva.
A PROPOSAL AWAY FROM STIGMAS
For the executive, one of the main drivers behind Silver TV is to offer a different representation space for an audience that concentrates time and purchasing power, but that is usually approached solely from health or illness.
“The silver community needs spaces where they can see themselves represented in a different way. When you say ‘we are going to talk about a community over 60 years old’, the first thing that comes to mind is medicine, doctors, illness and really that is not all,” he said.
Likewise, he highlighted that the content is designed to explain current phenomena, such as technology or artificial intelligence, in a close and non-technical way: “We know that there are topics that the silver generation finds difficult to adapt to and need someone to explain it to them in simple terms.”
PROGRAMMING GRID AND ALLIANCES
The first stage of Silver TV’s programming combines original productions, third-party content and international acquisitions. Among its main spaces are: Table for threeled by Jorge Hevia; The good newsled by Eduardo Riveros Behnke; and local formats such as The good life, Milk with banana, Lolosaurios y Super Seniorcomplemented with content from Deutsche Welle (DW) and Congreso Futuro.
On a commercial level, Villanueva pointed out that the proposal has aroused interest in both traditional and retail as well as in items linked to the segment (optics, hearing aids, health insurers and clinics, among others).
Added to this is a multiplatform strategy in which YouTube functions as a secondary screen in format ondemand and social networks act as an audience hook. “Today audiences are everywhere. We understand that linearity on YouTube is not their thing, but if they want to watch yesterday’s program they can watch it there, therefore it is a model based on multiplatform, not on exclusivity,” he noted.
REGIONAL EXPANSION
With an eye toward regional expansion, Villanueva indicated that Silver TV’s format is designed to be replicated through local talent and production in other Spanish-speaking markets. The objective is to start with the countries of the Andean region (Peru, Ecuador and Colombia) and then advance to Mexico and Argentina.
“The concept is our cornerstone. If I have here Table for threewhich is led by Jorge Hevia, in Colombia or Peru there is a Jorge Hevia. The format is replicated with a driver and local guests, while the structure of the grid is the same. The silver segment in Colombia, Peru, Argentina or Ecuador behaves exactly the same and has the same needs,” he concluded.
Source: www.produ.com
