Last week, Narcity Media Group officially launched Locals.tv, a video app that is meant to empower local creators to build sustainable business models with the power of Narcity Media Group’s distribution. Verified users upload their video content to Instagram, then tag Narcity to be syndicated on Locals.tv platform. Creators can also create and send “Collab” proposals to small businesses and businesses can accept and pay for these pitches directly in the platform.
It sounds relatively simple, but we spoke to Narcity CEO Chuck Lapointe to gain additional insights into the platform.
What was the genesis of Locals.tv?
We wanted to get back into video by doubling down on local creators. Instead of competing with giants like Instagram or TikTok, we saw an opportunity to create a platform that genuinely supports local creators in building sustainable revenue streams through their content on top of what they mostly already do.
You mention that creators can begin monetizing right away: how?
Creators simply tag our Narcity accounts when posting videos on Instagram (TikTok coming soon). We then syndicate their videos on Locals.tv, allowing immediate monetization through ads. Our new “Collabs” feature further helps creators easily collaborate and sell paid collaborations with small businesses.
Ads come directly from Narcity’s ad network and partners. Advertisers have the option to participate (but are included by default as part of our rest of network purchase).
Is there any content moderation? How do you ensure brand safety?
Every creator undergoes editorial review and approval by our team before appearing on Locals.tv. This ensures brand safety, appropriate content, and consistent quality. Once the creator is approved, we passively monitor brand safety but less than at the creator approval stage.
What kind of impressions do videos on Locals.tv provide, and how are you planning on growing the service?
This platform is very new and we are still in roll out phase, so impressions per video are still quite low (in the low hundreds). Right now we are focused on the collaboration tools for our creators and giving them more options to monetize.
Tell us a little about the timing of the launch?
The timing aligns perfectly with a broader movement to support local creators and businesses, that as you know, we’ve been fully onboard with for years now. There’s heightened consumer interest in Canadian-made content, and we’re hoping to capitalize on that with Locals.tv and the local creators who decide to get onboard.
