How Stuff Moved Beyond Traditional Journalism with Compelling Video of all Kinds

As the way we consume news and information changes, publishers must also adapt to connect with audiences in new ways. Reaching beyond its traditional journalism platform, Stuff has created created a bold new streaming service called Play Stuff. Powered by Brightcove®, this experience delivers local and international video content across news, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle programming, with material originating from Reuters, Press Association, Nine, ABC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Bravo New Zealand, Al Jazeera, Sky Vision, Rugby Pass, NZ On Screen, and many more.

PUBLISHERS INNOVATE WITH VIDEO

Like many in the publishing industry, Stuff set out to increase its video footprint, deliver more storytelling with video, and meet the demands for new OTT (over the top) experiences. This gave rise to Play Stuff, which features a mix of short- and long-form programming focused on news, sports, entertainment, lifestyle, and documentaries. Play Stuff quickly became New Zealand’s new home for entertaining, informative, and compelling video. “The idea was to create a rounded product that goes beyond the traditional news space and into the world of entertainment and beyond,” said Paddy Buckley, Head of Video Products and Strategy at Stuff. “Play Stuff represents a huge opportunity for us to rethink the way we tell our stories and look at new opportunities with video.”

27 GENRES...78 CHANNELS...THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF VIDEOS

Music? Māori? How about health or history? Maybe a documentary, short film, or home improvement channel. With so many genres and channels, Play Stuff doesn’t leave anyone or anything out of the mix. It’s made possible by a powerful and comprehensive OTT experience powered by Accedo. This joint solution enables Play Stuff to rapidly deploy high quality live and on-demand video across platforms with no added development costs. “Video is becoming more prolific with recent stats suggesting it will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2022,” said Chris McNair, Regional Director, Australia and New Zealand, Accedo. “Consumers are increasingly choosing to watch videos for information and entertainment. With this service, Stuff is tapping into that trend and delivering its content in a new and engaging way that will appeal to a larger audience.”

SERIOUSLY RELIABLE

With such a strong legacy in journalism and a mission focused on maintaining a vibrant, diverse functioning democracy in New Zealand, the addition of Play Stuff was a decision that was not taken lightly. The trust of the audience and the integrity of the organisation must not face any risk. That led to the choice of Brightcove video. “When we offer new video programming for the first time to our audience, we need to know that it is going to be utterly reliable,” said Carol Hirschfeld, Head of Video/Audio and Content Partnerships at Stuff. “We must continue to build that trust which we have shown through the editorial side and show that we can do it at a technical level. And that’s really one of the key reasons why we chose Brightcove to be our partner.”