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Ryff Helps LEGO® Masters NZ Monetize Global Content

LEGO® Masters NZ and Television New Zealand are turning to AI-powered product placement technology from Ryff to give them a clean slate for future brand integrations.

LOS ANGELES, California. July 5, 2022 — The challenge with monetizing global content is that, at some point, you need local sponsors — something that’s impossible if those rights are sold before production. So LEGO® Masters NZ and Television New Zealand are turning to AI-powered product placement technology from Ryff to give them a clean slate for future brand integrations.

LEGO Masters is a global phenomenon, shot and distributed all over the world. The distributors, Banijay, were keen to ensure that the show shot in New Zealand was able to be repurposed for other markets. For TVNZ, who bought the rights for LEGO Masters NZ, the challenge was to incorporate local sponsors, well known to New Zealand audiences but not to global viewers.

“This is a challenge increasingly faced by broadcasters and content creators as they look for more revenue by distributing and monetizing globally,” says Roy Taylor, CEO of Ryff. “After all, you can’t sell a sponsorship more than once.”

Or can you? 

Enter Ryff, with 3D technology inspired by the world of gaming; new products can be inserted digitally into footage that has already been shot, as simply as a gamer could change out armor. For distributors of content, that means the same episodes can be resold to sponsors in each local market.

Ryff’s Placer platform ingests content such as a television episode, and its AI-driven Scene Intelligence software analyzes the content for moments when logos make sense to appear, such as the wall over a contestant’s head.  Ryff then inserts logos in place and renders them to match lighting and cinematography, so they look like they were always there.

With Ryff’s technology supporting it, TVNZ was able to shoot a “clean” production, with no sponsor logos in sight. Ryff can then place sponsor logos in after the production, which will air in TK. The result is that TVNZ gets additional value to their sponsorship, and Banijay has a show to distribute without New Zealand brands, increasing its resale value. 

“LEGO Masters is a big moment for TVNZ and the brands who want to be a part of it,” says Aaron Dawson, General Manager, Blacksand & Partnerships TVNZ. “With Ryff, that moment will be able to stretch on long past our initial production ends.”

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ABOUT RYFF 

Ryff is part of a new breed of Hollywood players, rewriting product placement rules using proprietary AI technology. They can virtually insert products into fully mastered and edited content. This is not VFX. The Ryff solution is inexpensive and practically immediate. Welcome to the future of brand integration.

ABOUT TVNZ

TVNZ is New Zealand’s state-owned, commercially funded broadcaster. Our purpose is to enrich the lives of New Zealanders by sharing the moments that matter to our communities, regions and people. Each day, TVNZ reaches more than 2 million Kiwis through channels TVNZ 1, 2, DUKE and online entertainment platform, TVNZ OnDemand. 

ABOUT BANIJAY

Banijay stands as the largest independent content producer and distributor; home to over 120 production companies across 22 territories, and a multi-genre catalogue boasting over 130,000 hours of original standout programming.

A collective of creative entrepreneurs, the group represents some of the biggest global brands including Survivor, Big Brother, Starstruck, Peaky Blinders, Rogue Heroes, MasterChef, Mr Bean, Hunted, Black Mirror, Drag Me Out, and Deal or No Deal, among others. Imagining and delivering high-quality multi-genre IP that was born locally and travels globally, the business offers the best stories told the best way. 

Built on independence, creative freedom, collaborative entrepreneurialism and commercial acumen, the company, launched in 2008, operates under the direction of Chief Executive Officer, Marco Bassetti.

Press Contact:

Theresa Nasi, Sweat + Co, 917.855.2531, theresa@sweatandco.com

 

We are part of a new breed of Hollywood players, rewriting product placement rules using our proprietary AI technology. We virtually insert products into fully mastered and edited content. This is not VFX. Our solution is inexpensive and practically immediate. Welcome to the future of brand integration.