DOGTV — a TV network for dogs — features programming that scientists have determined help dogs relax, stay occupied, and avoid depression when owners are away. It launched in San Diego earlier this year with partners Time Warner Cable and Cox Media.
Since its launch, DOGTV was viewed by nearly 40% of available dog-owning households in the area, according to the company. More than two-thirds of those households were repeat viewers and the average viewing time over than two hours. DOGTV is currently preparing its nationwide launch.
MIPBlog: What attracted you to the DogTV project?
DOGTV CEO, Gilad Neumann: DOGTV is a once in a lifetime opportunity to introduce an innovative and revolutionary new product to an extremely important market – the pet market. It is a lot more than a TV channel, it is also a product for dogs and a service for dog parents.
It combines science, research, technology implementation and new marketing concepts, and most of all, our product will change the lives of millions of dogs and their families.
> Can you describe the mission of DOGTV, and what kind of audience it is targeting?
DOGTV’s mission is to be the world’s primary TV channel dedicated to dogs as viewers, using scientifically-developed content to improve the lives of dogs and consequently their owners.
Our channel is dedicated to dogs as viewers and our programming was specifically planned to suit dogs’ special senses, such as viewing, hearing and behaviour.
We’re targeting the over 100 million dogs around the globe, who spend hours at home alone and suffering from loneliness, boredom and separation anxiety.
> You came to MIPCOM this year! What kind of support for this project are you looking for?
We had great meetings with international TV platforms during the market at MIPCOM and received extremely enthusiastic and excited responses. We are working very hard on meeting the growing international demand for the channel and are anticipating many launches in the upcoming year in the US and abroad.
> What response have you been receiving from networks?
We are receiving an overwhelming enthusiastic response from the networks. We are talking with many platform from the US, Europe and Asia who are looking forward to launching DOGTV in their territories. We are currently preparing a nationwide launch in the U.S. as well as Eastern Europe.
> We noticed you’re active on Twitter and Facebook. Describe the role social media plays in DOGTV’s strategy.
Social media plays a major role in our worldwide outreach to the dog loving communities. In many ways social media turns marketing into a more personal relationship with our customers. We are using this media to speak with them directly, get feedback and help improve the quality of the product.
> What are DOGTV’s ambitions for the next two years?
We would like DOGTV to become a household brand for the world’s dog families. We will continue to develop our content with our team of leading pet experts, all to improve the lives of the millions of dogs around the world.
Those who would like to sample DOGTV outside its service area can do so online at www.dogtv.com/online.
