Gray Targets Millennials by Delivering Local News Through Haystack TV's OTT Platform
ATLANTA(13 Dec 2016)
Gray Television, Inc. ("Gray," "we," "us" or "our") (NYSE: GTN and GTN.A) announced today that it has reached an agreement with over-the-top video network Haystack TV to distribute its local news video content to its millennial-targeted audience.
Haystack TV radically improves the way TV news is consumed and distributed online through a mix of big data technology, artificial intelligence and human curation. Upon accessing Haystack TV, local users will see a mix of the top news stories and other content tuned to their specific interests based on their viewing habits, preferred publishers and favorite topics. The platform features content from traditional news broadcasters, as well as from newer niche publishers. Haystack TV presents videos in a way that allow for an optimal lean-back viewing experience.
"Third party researchers have named Gray as the television group reaching the highest number of 'millennial' consumers," said Kevin Latek, Gray's Executive Vice President. "It is therefore quite appropriate that Gray today becomes the first local broadcaster in each of our 50+ television markets to distribute local news video content on Haystack TV's new and innovative platform."
Jason Effinger, Gray's Chief Digital and Technology Officer explained, "Our viewers don't just want great content, they want to consume information on the platforms and devices of their own choosing. Haystack TV allows Gray to better meet the needs of our millennial viewers through a technology and a platform that are far ahead of the competition in delivering relevant video content to local viewers across the country."
The Haystack TV platform is just one more exciting way that Gray's stations get their highly sought-after local content into the hands of news-hungry millennials. Previously, Gray was the first television broadcast group to launch all of its CBS affiliates on the CBS All Access platform. Gray is also one of the largest broadcast groups supporting Roku with local station apps in dozens of markets in addition to hundreds of iOS, Apple, Kindle, and AppleWatch apps. Likewise, Gray's early and extensive involvement with "Facebook Instant Articles" led Facebook to select Gray as a "case study" for all media companies looking to expand their presence on the world's largest social media network.
Haystack TV is available on iOS and Android devices, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, Fire TV and on the web via http://www.haystack.tv. Haystack TV was one of the initial launch partners for the Android TV platform and was featured by Google for its Chromecast integration. Haystack TV has also been featured multiple times on the Apple App Store and was a winner at Twitter's Hatch startup competition. Additional information about Haystack is available at http://www.haystack.tv/about-us.
About Gray Television:
Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE: GTN and GTN.A) is a television broadcast company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that owns and operates television stations and leading digital assets in markets throughout the United States. Upon completion of all previously announced acquisitions, we will own and/or operate television stations across 53 television markets that collectively broadcast approximately 200 program streams including 101 channels affiliated with the CBS Network, the NBC Network, the ABC Network and the FOX Network. We then will own and/or operate the number-one or number-two ranked television station operations in essentially all of our markets, which collectively cover approximately 10.1 percent of total United States television households.