Digital disruption in the television industry has had its upside for Daniel and Helen Wrightson. The couple have embraced the changing television landscape by using their 25 years of experience in broadcasting to create a nimble streaming business that is tailored to both niche markets and broadcasters. The StreamShop makes live television for any platform their clients choose to stream it on.

Streaming, says Daniel, is just another form of broadcasting, with no barriers or gatekeepers to connectivity. At its essence, “streaming is just data and the ability to consume it is entirely in the hands of the consumer”.

And it is channel-agnostic, meaning you don’t need a broadcaster. Publishing a stream on a platform is making sure there is connectivity with the people who want to watch it.

An example of this, says Helen, is the upcoming 100-year anniversary of rugby between old foes Mt Albert Grammar and Auckland Grammar. Helen is producing the show, which will be streamed on Mt Albert Grammar’s YouTube channel.

As well as niche markets such as school sports games, they also make television for broadcasters. Daniel emphasises that it doesn’t matter if the project is for five people or five million.

“It doesn't make any difference; we make it look and feel like a broadcaster, with all the elements of good lighting, cameras, sound and graphics.”

Fulfilling the sponsor and fans' needs is paramount to success. “We go out of our way to make sure that when you are watching the Black Sticks playing, it's the best coverage for hockey fans. We're also streaming the games to India and Australia, as well as going out on Sky here.”

Whether it’s YouTube, Facebook or linear TV channels, the Wrightsons give the same emphasis to each show they produce and stream live. “There’s a great joy in live,” says Daniel. “You have the immediacy of being able to communicate with viewers.”

As people emerge from lockdown or isolation and not everybody wants to or can travel to company events, conferences, awards and presentations have created a hybrid opportunity. Citing a recent job for Dulux, Streamshop’s solution was to create satellite hubs around the country where people could come together and join the show. Daniel says it makes people feel they are part of it even when they are not at the event.

“For a small investment, you can share your event with everyone who can't make the trip, including globally. The technology continues to evolve and we stay on the front edge of it, to make it look and feel like a great event to watch.” 

“Even without Covid getting in the way, there are endless opportunities, like secondary school sports tournaments where family members can’t travel to the game, but they can still watch it,” says Helen. “If you can’t be there, it’s the next best thing.”

And once the viewers have experienced the excitement of the show or game through live coverage, the client has footage to create their own collateral, highlight reels and social media content. It’s a resource that Streamshop clients can repurpose, drawing out the value by providing more bites at the cherry. And there’s the bonus of an event being around forever – it’s available to go back to whenever you want. For couples and weddings, they can go straight to YouTube and watch their ceremony over again.

Could streaming disrupt live events? That comes down to how good the live experience is, according to Daniel. He says rugby is a good example where a lot of people would rather watch a rugby game on television because the pictures are amazing, the fridge is full and the toilets are clean – as opposed to going to Eden Park, sitting miles away and having very little understanding of what’s going on.

“I think there is a dangerous precipice for big events, because the idea of being able to watch a show, concert or sports event in HD on a massive TV is so appealing. For me, it’s very much in addition to a live event – and that’s happening. A lot of large events like Coachella have a full broadcast slate so attendees can go home and watch the bits they might have missed.”

The Wrightsons are excited by having been able to use their experience to realise a cutting-edge business that takes advantage of new technology at significantly lower cost and shapes quality television product in a new medium for audiences to consume.

As for tips for working with your spouse, Daniel says it helps that they enjoy each other's company and he makes sure Helen is the boss – and Helen says it is all about respect for each other’s work and roles.

Daniel and Helen live in a three-bedroom apartment in Botanica, a beautiful leafy complex in the heart of Uptown with views over Maungawhau. Busy lifestyles prompted the move from a large Mt Eden villa to a lock and leave apartment. Helen says plenty of light at different times of the day was on the shopping list, and being able to fit in their 2.1m dining table was crucial, “we love the company of friends around our dining table”.

Helen says living in Uptown makes life easy. “We love being able to walk out of our front gate and head out into the neighbourhood for a meal or a drink at one of the many options right on our doorstep. Almost everything is on our doorstep – we can buy gifts, get our laundry done, take the dogs to the vet and buy ingredients to make a gourmet meal.”

For Dan and Helen, Uptown ticks all the right boxes for their lifestyle.