The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Discover Sport & the Extreme Fighting Championship sign landmark streaming partnership
Discover Sport, the dedicated social media app for sports and the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC), have announced a landmark free streaming partnership making EFC content available to fans around the world via Discover Sport.
Under the agreement the EFC has created an EFC profile on Discover Sport, where all EFC fights will be streamed free to fans outside of Sub-Saharan Africa, along with select undercard and prelim bouts available globally. The partnership also includes EFC’s supporting content: pre-fight promotional videos, weigh-ins, press conferences, athlete profiles, post-fight highlights, archives and short-form social content.
This partnership marks the end of EFC’s previous international pay-per-view strategy, with Africa’s premier fighting championship pivoting to a free global streaming model designed to increase international fan access to its world-class content. The move expands EFC’s global audience reach while enhancing the value and visibility for its sponsors and commercial partners.
Business moves
Sweet victory for Riverbed as it lands Mondelēz International SA PR account
Multiple award-winning agency Riverbed has added another iconic brand to its portfolio with its appointment as the public relations partner for Mondelēz International, South Africa following a highly contested pitch process. The scope of work includes PR, reputation management and crisis communications.
The win marks a new chapter of collaboration between the agency and the global snacking leader, whose portfolio includes household favourites such as Cadbury, Lunch Bar, Chappies and Halls.
Monalisa Zwambila, CEO of Riverbed, said: “This is a truly sweet victory for our team. Mondelēz is a brand that resonates with millions of South Africans, and we’re proud to partner with a company that shares our passion for authentic storytelling. At Riverbed, we believe in earning attention through work that moves people — and this partnership is an opportunity to do just that.”
Windhoek Beer flips the script
Windhoek Beer is flipping the script on traditional food rules with its bold new campaign: Real Beer, Real Food and Nothing Else. This nationwide celebration of South Africa’s favourite one-handed meals hit the streets in a fresh, authentic way with the arrival of the Windhoek Beer Hops Truck.
The Hops Truck is a mobile experience that carries real beer, real food, and real conversations into the heart of local communities. It’s a space where people come together to share authentic moments, celebrate their favourite street food spots, and enjoy the crisp refreshment of Windhoek Beer. Powered by both electricity and solar energy, the Hops Truck is fully equipped with 4 draught taps, a griller, and a fryer, allowing guests to pour a cold Windhoek draught and enjoy freshly prepared snacks on the spot.
Making its debut in Soweto on Saturday, 1 November, the Hops Truck popped up at Chaf Pozi, PDL, and Meat Meet, bringing with it a vibe that was fresh, real, and social. Each stop celebrated local flavour and connection.
This activation formed part of Windhoek’s broader #RealBeerRealFood campaign to crown South Africa’s best one-handed food spots, with one lucky fan standing a chance to win an all-expenses-paid Round the World Food Tour, featuring some of the globe’s most iconic one-handed dishes.
Publicis West Africa and Moving Walls launch Ghana’s first advanced out-of-home measurement platform
Publicis West Africa has launched Ghana’s first advanced out-of-home (OOH) measurement platform in partnership with global advertising technology leader, Moving Walls. This groundbreaking initiative marks a new era in the country’s advertising industry, providing precise audience insights and measurable campaign effectiveness for brands and agencies.
“This partnership marks a major milestone in our journey to modernise media measurement in Ghana,” said Anand Badami, SVP, Publicis West Africa. “We are committed to delivering data-led solutions to our clients, and this collaboration with Moving Walls allows us to bring global best practices to the local market.”
Advertisers, media planners, and brand managers interested in accessing the platform or scheduling a demo can reach out via info@publiciswestafrica.com
WPP appointed Reckitt’s European Media Agency of Record
WPP Media has been appointed by Reckitt to manage its media planning and buying across 21 European markets.
WPP Media will develop strategy and activate across Reckitt’s portfolio of trusted health and hygiene Powerbrands – used by millions of people every day for their quality and superior science – including Durex, Nurofen, Strepsils, Gaviscon, Veet, Dettol (known as Sagrotan in Germany and Austria), Finish and Vanish.
Cindy Rose, CEO of WPP, said: “Reckitt brands are an important part of daily life for hundreds of millions of people around the world. We’re proud to partner with a company which so many people rely on and trust to keep their homes, families, and loved ones safe and healthy. We’re excited to collaborate with Reckitt to rewrite the marketing playbook for the AI era and bring the full breadth of WPP’s capabilities for Reckitt across Europe.”
25 Distinguished speakers join WAN-IFRA’s Newsroom Summit
WAN-IFRA’s Newsroom Summit takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark from 18-19 November. Journalists, newsroom leaders and 25 world-class speakers will be present for insightful cases, engaging workshopping and powerful networking next week at #NRS25.
The agenda includes”
- Exploring Future Audiences & Connecting with a New Generation of Readers with Berlingske, IN/LAB, Schibsted and WAN-IFRA’s Future Audiences Initiative. Proven Subscription Strategies presented by Bonnier News Local, Mediahuis Ireland, & Svenska Dagbladet, who share a common denominator: cross-collaboration of commercial teams with your newsroom to break through the subscription plateau.
- Strengthening Newsroom Safety to support your journalists amidst an alarming growth of on and offline harassment featuring cases from Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Reach Plc
Check out the full programme here and book here.
Guidance papers help organisations to get started with King V
The strength of the newly launched King V Code lies in its flexibility and proportionality as these enable tailored governance solutions – and discourage tickbox compliance.
“King V reflects the King Committee’s continued commitment, already established in King IV, to engage with the fundamentals of contemporary governance concerns rather than through prescriptive detail,” says Ansie Ramalho, King Committee Chair.
The Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA) and the King Committee have issued the following guidance papers to assist organisations in getting started with implementing the new Code in their unique context.
ReBid launches AI Creative Studio revolutionising creative agency ecosystem
ReBid, India’s first Agentic AI Agency has announced the launch of its AI Creative Studio, a breakthrough solution designed to transform how brands create ad visuals, product catalogs, and social media creatives — across both display and video formats.
Built on ReBid’s core philosophy of Platform + People + Agentic AI, the AI Creative Studio enables marketers to generate studio-quality creatives in seconds, optimised for branding and performance as well as personalisation across channels like Google, Meta, Amazon, and programmatic platforms.
“Marketers today are under pressure to produce high-quality content at the speed of media. Our AI Creative Studio bridges that gap — helping brands generate contextual, personalised ad creatives be it static or video creatives instantly, while maintaining brand consistency and performance intelligence,” said Rajiv Dingra, founder & CEO of ReBid.
