The collaboration will expand the digital reach of ITN’s historic Royal Family and news archives across YouTube and Facebook.
Merzigo, the global media technology company specialising in premium content distribution and monetisation, has partnered with UK independent production company ITN to bring its extensive Royal Family and news archives to new digital audiences.
Under the agreement, Merzigo will use its expertise in digital content distribution, audience development and monetisation to curate and optimise historic footage for dedicated digital channels on YouTube and Facebook.
The rollout will include the Royal Family Archive on YouTube and Facebook, The Royal Fashion Channel on YouTube and Facebook, and an ITN Archive presence on Facebook. The channels will feature landmark royal occasions, historic moments, iconic Royal fashion and archive news footage.
As part of the collaboration, Merzigo will repackage and optimise ITN’s archive for contemporary audiences across social and video platforms, with the aim of increasing discoverability, engagement and new revenue opportunities for ITN Productions.
Valerio Motti, Managing Director, EMEA, Merzigo, said:
“ITN holds one of the most significant television archives in the world. Its Royal Family collection and news coverage document the moments that defined Britain and shaped global history. This is content of real cultural importance, and its value grows with time. By combining ITN’s archive channels with Merzigo’s expertise in digital distribution, audience development and monetisation, we can give these historic moments a permanent home on the platforms where people now watch, and create lasting value from a world-class collection.”
ITN Production’s digital division drives ITN’s direct-to-consumer strategy, which includes the management of a range of digital channels that utilise the ITN archive across different genres including entertainment, crime, and royals.
George Cudmore, Director of Digital, ITN Productions said:
“This collaboration marks an exciting step forward to accelerate ITN’s digital growth strategy. ITN holds one of the world’s richest collections of archival content, spanning decades and genres. In harnessing Merzigo’s strong track record of building, growing and engaging digital communities, we are excited to bring to life more of our archive to new audiences in innovative ways across our multiplatform digital channels.”
ITN’s archive dates back to the organisation’s first broadcasts in 1955 and has grown into one of the world’s most significant moving-image collections. Comprising more than a million video clips, it provides a unique record of Britain and the wider world through ITN’s journalism, preserving footage of historic events and the people who have shaped them for future generations.
