Gala Coral Group

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In January 2009, the Gala Coral Group appointed etv to produce Gala TV - broadcast on the Sky and Freesat platforms as well as www.galabingo.com. The channel had previously been produced by Endemol UK however Gala Coral decided to re-launch the channel on 1st February 2009 with the aim of improving the channel's performance.

  • Recruit a new and wider player base across all Gala platforms
  • Retain the Gala brand loyalists
  • Re-activate a player base that has churned through the channel
  • Engage the viewer - make bingo cool again
  • Create an entertainment experience that has the camaraderie of the bingo hall with the comfort of home

etv produces eight hours of live programming for Gala TV seven days a week, between 6pm and 2am on Sky channel 861, as well as elements of the auto-game which broadcast at other times. The channel is streamed live to the Gala TV website. Gala TV is unique in that it offers live studio-based bingo shows with audience interaction.

etv's creative team worked with Gala to provide the channel with a fresh, aspirational look and feel, as well as developing new gaming formats, while enhancing old favourites to broaden the reach of the channel. The new Gala TV set - part real and part virtual - features ambitious graphics and conceptual designs to ensure a highly engaging viewer experience.

Keith Hawkins, Managing Director of Gala Coral Group's Remote Gambling Division, which Gala TV is part of, said: "Online bingo continues to be immensely popular attracting an increasingly younger, aspirational and fun loving audience. By relaunching Gala TV in a more commercial way and working with etv we will be further enhancing the channel and offering a truly engaging broadcast proposition."

He added: "We are very excited to be working with etv. Their pedigree in producing high revenue earning transactional television programmes is second to none."

The new interactive elements have created an atmosphere on the channel where there’s always something going on and players don’t want to miss the prizes. Gala TV awards 200,000 winners a year and gives away approximately £20,000 each night in prize money.

On the first night of the re-launched channel there was a 20% increase in ticket sales. During the first month since re-launch, the channel demonstrated significant upward trends in the number of unique players per night and the participation rate of those players. In June 2009, Gala TV achieved its best channel performance for any Monday or Wednesday night in the channel’s history.

Kevin Loman, Gala TV Manager, Gala Coral group said: "Gala TV is achieving consistently strong numbers despite the difficult current trading conditions – illustrating the engaging live show and the right mixture of games. The product is in fantastic shape for the wider market."