Attention Amplifiers: Mark Frain, Foxtel 

Meeting the attention adopters that have helped drive innovation for their organisations.

Changing a global industry is no mean feat and it requires an incredible amount of grit. At Amplified, we believe it takes an open minded, innovative and driven person to not only recognise the size of the opportunity but also take ownership of driving their business forward through innovation and desire to find a better way.

Amplified wants to connect with the best, brightest and bravest of attention adopters. Those who have tackled the challenge head on and single-handedly brought attention measurement to the forefront of their companies strategies.

As part of our Attention Amplifiers series we will be showcasing the unique perspective and hunger for innovation from across the industry, featuring stories from some truly inspiring people who have driven their organisation’s forward through the adoption of attention.

In this edition we’ll be hearing from Foxtel Media’s, Mark Frain, who will be detailing his unique experiences and outcomes from working with attention measurement at one of the Australia’s leading entertainment platforms.

Tell us a bit about yourself, and the role you have at your organisation

As CEO of Foxtel Media, I’m focused on reshaping the future of Australian premium video advertising. I have helped transition Foxtel Media from traditional television advertising into a digital powerhouse during my tenure. This has been marked by an intense focus on streamlining ad strategies to align with global standards, including the launch of an ad-supported tier on BINGE and the introduction of a new total audience measurement solution to better capture and report the viewing habits of all of the Foxtel Group’s 4.8 million subscribers.

I am committed to scaling Foxtel Media’s digital reach, making it a premier choice for advertisers looking to capture attention in an increasingly fragmented, streaming-focused world. The work we do with Amplified Intelligence is a key part of this commitment.

What challenge were you faced with that brought attention to the fore, and what did your first project focussing on attention entail?

One of our first projects focusing on attention was driven by the goal of validating a key hypothesis: that Foxtel platforms offer a superior ad and viewing experiences. This is what we call “Watchability”, and we believe it generates more attention, stronger engagement, and better commercial outcomes for advertisers. We knew that Foxtel audiences were already more engaged than other TV networks, but we wanted further validation through attention metrics.

How did you discover that attention could help solve that problem?

We partnered with Amplified Intelligence to measure human attention, engagement, and watchability across various screens on Foxtel platforms. We conducted a detailed study using a 300-home Australian panel, collecting over 26,000 attention views, across 2,335 program sessions and 1,005 brand ads. The results were clear: Foxtel platforms deliver significantly more active attention than linear TV, with a 10% increase in both active attention and engaged viewers. We also found that Foxtel’s streaming services, like Kayo Sports, generated even more attention—twice as much as Foxtel’s traditional offerings.

With attention being relatively new, was there resistance, or hesitancy, in adoption that you had to overcome? What were some of the challenges you faced along the way?

Interestingly, we didn’t face much resistance with the adoption of attention metrics because the industry is always looking for better ways to measure campaigns and deliver superior outcomes. Advertisers are naturally drawn to metrics that go beyond traditional measures like reach and frequency, especially when they provide deeper insights into how audiences engage with content.

The key challenge wasn’t convincing people of attention’s value but rather ensuring the framework was easy to adopt and implement. By partnering with Amplified Intelligence, we have been able to provide robust, actionable data that clearly demonstrated how attention correlates with stronger brand outcomes.

Why did you choose to partner with Amplified Intelligence?

Foxtel Media’s long-standing partnership with Amplified Intelligence reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering high-impact, audience-focused advertising. Amplified Intelligence’s expertise in attention-based measurement has complemented Foxtel Media’s strategy of continually refining ad effectiveness and driving meaningful engagement. By integrating advanced attention metrics across our platforms, Foxtel Media provides advertisers with valuable insights and elevated campaign performance. This enduring collaboration underscores both our organisations’ dedication to data-driven innovation, positioning us at the forefront of the evolving digital advertising landscape.

What insights did attention provide you with that other measurements or metrics weren’t able to?

Our goal was not just to prove our platforms’ superior attention levels but also to provide insights that could help advertisers achieve greater brand impact. The work we have done with Amplified Intelligence in the past has shown a clear correlation between more engaged viewers and stronger brand lift, both in the short and long term. This laid the foundation for our attention-based planning approach, which helps clients optimise their campaigns for maximum impact. The results reinforced that Foxtel’s platforms provide the ideal environment for driving brand success through active and engaged attention.

What advice would you give to others looking to kickstart their attention journey?

Focus on moving beyond traditional reach metrics and really zero in on what drives business results. Start by looking at attention-based data—understanding how your audience interacts with your ads is far more valuable than just knowing who sees them. Forming partnerships with experts in attention metrics, like we’ve done with Amplified Intelligence, can provide the insights you need to optimise campaigns for true impact. Staying agile and data-driven is also crucial; constantly refining strategies is essential to keep up with today’s fast-changing digital landscape. And above all, I believe a customer-centric approach is key. Knowing what truly captures and holds attention will set your ad experiences apart and create a lasting impression.