ThinkTV Australia

What ThinkTV Australia does

ThinkTV Australia is a non-profit industry marketing body founded in 2014 and based in North Sydney, established to demonstrate the effectiveness of television advertising to Australia's marketing community. The organization is funded by Australia's three major commercial free-to-air broadcasters — Seven West Media, Nine Entertainment Co, and Network 10 — and operates with a small team of 1-10 employees. Rather than selling advertising inventory, ThinkTV functions as a collective-funded research, education, and advocacy entity whose primary 'products' are free tools and publications distributed at no cost to marketers, media agencies, and planners.

Its core technology assets are two free planning tools. The Brand Engine is powered by a meta-analysis of 179 real campaigns assessed using Kantar's CrossMedia methodology, employing multivariate regression to isolate the impact of individual channels on brand effectiveness. The Media Engine, developed in partnership with GroupM and Gain Theory, applies econometric modelling across 60 brands with collective annual turnover of $23 billion and $450 million in annual media spend to generate ROI-optimizing media splits. Supporting these tools is ThinkTV's role in promoting VOZ (Virtual Australia), Australia's official Total TV measurement standard, which provides de-duplicated cross-platform audience estimates via OzTAM and Regional TAM.

The business model is an industry-body funding structure: the three shareholders provide operating support, and ThinkTV reinvests into research publications (The Benchmark Series, The Payback Series, bi-annual Fact Packs), educational programs (the MFA Television Foundations Certification), industry events (RE VISION, ThinkTank), and exclusive content from globally recognized effectiveness experts such as Peter Field and Les Binet. All resources are distributed free-of-charge via thinktv.com.au, positioning ThinkTV as a marketing-led category-building entity rather than a transactional commercial business.

Name

ThinkTV Australia

Legal name

ThinkTV

Website

https://thinktv.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ThinkTV Australia is a broadcaster-funded industry marketing body based in North Sydney that provides Australian marketers, media agencies, and planners with free research, planning tools, and educational programs demonstrating the effectiveness of television advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Advertising Research and Industry Marketing Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Planning Currency, Verification & Accreditation Services (MRC/Industry Audits) (MPABAOAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Full-Service Media Planning & Buying (MPAAABAA)

Keywords

• Television advertising research
• Media planning tools
• Advertising effectiveness
• Marketing industry body
• Media measurement analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

North Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Industry Marketing and Research Services: ThinkTV operates as an industry body funded by Australia's commercial TV broadcasters (Seven West Media, Nine Entertainment Co, and Network 10) to promote and demonstrate the effectiveness of TV advertising. The organization provides free resources, research, and tools to the marketing community.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ThinkTV Australia is an industry-funded marketing and research body for Australia's commercial free-to-air television broadcasters (Seven West Media, Nine Entertainment Co, and Network 10). It develops and distributes free proprietary planning tools (The Brand Engine and The Media Engine), research publications, market data (Total TV reach, BVOD consumption, Fact Packs), and the MFA Television Foundations Certification course to help marketers, media agencies, and brand professionals optimize television and BVOD advertising investment.

Product overview

ThinkTV Australia operates as a research and industry education organization for the Australian television advertising sector, offering a portfolio of free planning tools, research publications, and educational programs. The core offerings include The Brand Engine (powered by Kantar CrossMedia analysis of 179 campaigns) and The Media Engine (econometric modeling with GroupM/Gain Theory) for media planning optimization. Supporting products include The Benchmark Series and The Payback Series (research publications on media effectiveness), ThinkTV Fact Packs (bi-annual audience data reports), and Virtual Australia (VOZ) as Australia's Total TV measurement standard. Educational initiatives include the MFA Television Foundations Certification and expert deep dive content featuring Peter Field and Les Binet. The organization also provides case studies, how-to advertising guides, network contacts (Seven, Nine, Network 10), and a glossary/help centre for industry terminology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Brand Engine A free planning tool powered by a meta-analysis of 179 real campaigns assessed using Kantar's CrossMedia methodology. Uses multivariate regression analysis to evaluate multichannel campaigns by isolating the impact of each channel and their interactions, providing optimal media splits for maximum brand impact. Targeted at marketers, media agencies, and brand planners.
• The Media Engine A free revenue planning tool developed in partnership with GroupM and Gain Theory using econometrics to model 60 brands with collective annual turnover of $23 billion and annual media spend of $450 million. Provides optimal media splits for maximum ROI across categories including FMCG, Finance, Auto, Retail, and Travel. Targeted at brand marketers and media planners.
• Virtual Australia (VOZ) Australia's Total TV measurement standard that brings together broadcast viewing on TV sets and granular BVOD viewing on connected devices to provide de-duplicated, all-screen, cross-platform planning, trading and reporting for the Australian media industry. Used by media buyers, planners, and broadcasters for cross-platform audience measurement.
• MFA Television Foundations Course An e-learning certification program designed to equip media professionals with skills to navigate the television landscape. Includes six courses covering Television Landscape, Planning, Buying/Trading, Factors Influencing Costs, Evaluation/Measurement/Reporting, and BVOD. Targeted at emerging marketing professionals under 5 years experience.
• The Benchmark Series A research series conducted in association with Macquarie University and Kantar investigating media effectiveness. Six tranches covering Viewability, Emotions and Advertising, Video Advertising on Mobile, Memory Decay, Cross Screen Effects, and Cross Channel Impact. Targeted at marketers, agencies, and researchers.
• The Payback Series Australia's largest econometric modelling exercise investigating media effectiveness. Commissioned by ThinkTV with analysis by Ebiquity, GroupM and Gain Theory examining media ROI across multiple sectors. Targeted at marketers, agencies, and advertisers evaluating TV and cross-channel ROI.
• ThinkTV Fact Packs Bi-annual publications providing comprehensive TV audience data including viewing stats, screen/technology penetration, reach by demographic, time-spent analysis, and playback trends for metro, regional, and national subscription TV. Targeted at marketers and agencies planning TV investment.

Quantifiable outcome

• TV delivers almost twice the sales uplift compared to search and radio
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and supporting.

• Seven West MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeven West Media is one of ThinkTV's founding broadcaster shareholders. The partnership provides funding and strategic direction for ThinkTV's mission to demonstrate TV advertising effectiveness. Seven Network's Craig Johnson (Director of Research and Insights) contributes content on BVOD value.
• Nine Entertainment CocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNine Entertainment Co is one of ThinkTV's broadcaster shareholders. The partnership supports ThinkTV's industry initiatives and provides access to Nine's audience data and advertising insights.
• Network 10 (Paramount)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork 10 is one of ThinkTV's broadcaster shareholders. The partnership contributes to ThinkTV's research and industry advocacy for TV advertising effectiveness.
• OzTAMcoreTechnology or IntegrationOzTAM is Australia's official TV audience measurement body. ThinkTV partners with OzTAM to utilize VOZ (Virtual Australia) data providing comprehensive Total TV audience measurement across Linear TV and BVOD platforms.
• Regional TAM (RegTAM)coreTechnology or IntegrationRegional TAM provides TV viewing data for regional Australia. Partnership enables ThinkTV to offer comprehensive national TV audience insights through VOZ integration.
• GroupM and Gain TheorystrategicTechnology or IntegrationThinkTV partnered with GroupM and Gain Theory to develop the Media Engine tool. The partnership utilizes econometric modelling data from 55 MediaCom and Wavemaker client brands totaling £2 billion of media spend.
• KantarstrategicTechnology or IntegrationKantar provides the CrossMedia database powering ThinkTV's Brand Engine tool. The database includes analysis of 179 real campaigns used for multivariate regression analysis evaluating channel effectiveness.
• Macquarie UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThinkTV partners with Macquarie University for The Benchmark Series research, investigating how media channels work together and interact for advertising effectiveness.
• Professor Karen Nelson-FieldsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor of Media Innovation at University of Adelaide who conducted independent research for The Benchmark Series, including eye-tracking studies on advertising engagement across platforms.
• Media Federation of Australia (MFA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThinkTV is a proud partner of MFA and supports the Television Foundations Certification course and MFA 5+ program for developing marketing professionals. Joint programs educate and connect with the next generation of marketers.
• Advertising Council Australia / Australian Effie AwardssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerThinkTV proudly supports the Australian Effie Awards which honor effective advertising and marketing communications campaigns. ThinkTV produces research content analyzing Effie-winning campaigns.
• NGENsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerThinkTV partners with NGEN (community for marketing professionals under 5 years experience) and hosts Behind the Scenes events to educate new industry entrants about Total TV.
• Thinkbox UKsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThinkbox UK shared Peter Field and Les Binet effectiveness research content with the Australian market through ThinkTV, including the Deep Dives series on TV effectiveness.
• VOZ (Virtual Australia)coreTechnology or IntegrationVOZ is Australia's Total TV measurement standard developed by OzTAM, Regional TAM, and Nielsen. ThinkTV utilizes VOZ data to provide Total TV reach insights showing 19+ million Australians reached weekly.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• OzTAM: OzTAM is Australia's official television audience measurement body and the co-developer of VOZ. While it focuses on measurement infrastructure rather than marketing advocacy, it occupies the adjacent seat in Australia's TV advertising value chain and is referenced as ThinkTV's key data partner.
• IAB Australia: IAB Australia is the local chapter of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, an industry body representing digital advertising with research, standards, and policy work. It is a direct structural analog to ThinkTV but for the digital advertising category in Australia.
• Regional TAM (RegTAM): RegTAM is the regional counterpart to OzTAM, providing TV audience measurement for regional Australia. Together with OzTAM, it underpins VOZ, making it a natural peer in the Australian TV measurement ecosystem where ThinkTV operates.
• Advertising Research Foundation (ARF): The ARF is a US-based industry body that conducts advertising research and effectiveness studies. It serves a similar research-and-education function for the broader advertising industry, making it a cross-market peer to ThinkTV's research mandate.
• Thinkbox UK: Thinkbox is the UK's commercial TV marketing body, funded by broadcasters, that produces research, planning tools, and effectiveness studies to promote TV advertising. It is the closest international analog to ThinkTV Australia, with a near-identical mission, funding model, and product set.
• Effie Worldwide: Effie Worldwide runs the global Effie Awards, which recognize marketing effectiveness. ThinkTV is a partner of Australian Effie Awards and produces research analyzing Effie-winning campaign data, making Effie a comparable marketing-effectiveness thought leadership platform.

Emerging players

• Ebiquity: Ebiquity is an independent media and marketing analytics firm that contributed to ThinkTV's Payback Series. It competes in the same econometric media-effectiveness research space and is a credible emerging alternative for advertiser-side research needs.

Broad incumbents

• Nielsen: Nielsen is a global leader in audience measurement and media analytics, and co-developer of VOZ. It competes with and complements ThinkTV's measurement ambitions at a much larger scale across multiple media types and geographies.
• Kantar: Kantar is a global marketing data and analytics company whose CrossMedia methodology powers ThinkTV's Brand Engine. While much larger and broader in scope, Kantar is a direct comparator in the advertising effectiveness research category.
• GroupM: GroupM is one of the world's largest media agencies and co-developed the Media Engine with ThinkTV. As both a partner and a competitor in producing advertiser-facing effectiveness research, GroupM is a key adjacent player in the Australian TV research ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/think_tv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/think-tv-australia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ThinkTV Australia