press release Archives - SmartFrame

Press release: New York Jets become first NFL team to adopt image-streaming technology for their official photography

SmartFrame — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The agreement marks SmartFrame’s first deployment with an NFL franchise and highlights growing demand among sports organizations for greater control over digital image distribution

London, UK – 17 March 2026: The New York Jets have become the first National Football League team to publish their official photography using SmartFrame’s image-streaming technology.

The Jets have adopted the SmartFrame Images platform to retain control over their intellectual property and to create new commercial opportunities through SmartFrame’s in-image advertising system.

Under the new partnership, images captured at New York Jets games and official team events will be published on smartframe.com and will be available for publishers to embed for free. Ownership of the images and their associated rights will remain fully with the New York Jets, allowing the organization to control how its official photography is displayed, distributed, and monetized across digital channels.

The agreement marks SmartFrame Technologies’ first deployment with an NFL team and its first with a United States professional sports franchise. The platform is already used by sports organizations around the world, including New Zealand Rugby, Six Nations Rugby, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, and Premier League clubs Manchester City FC, Everton FC, and Brentford FC. The partnership was facilitated by Pliner & Co.

“We’re always looking for innovative ways to enhance how we connect with our fans and partners,” said Jeff Fernandez, Senior Vice President, Business Development & Ventures, New York Jets. “SmartFrame’s technology gives us the tools to protect our images while unlocking new revenue streams from content we’re already producing. We’re excited to be working with the company on these objectives.”

Unlike traditional static image delivery, SmartFrame’s technology streams images directly to audiences on sports and news websites around the world. This enables interactive features such as full-screen viewing and SmartFrame’s proprietary Hyper Zoom technology, which boost fan engagement, together with integrated captions and Content Credentials that verify an image’s provenance and ownership.

By streaming rather than downloading images, SmartFrame’s platform also helps brands safeguard their intellectual property by providing protection against image theft, while delivering data and audience insights on how images are viewed and shared. The model is funded through high-impact, in-image advertising placements that compensate both the image owner and website publisher.

Rob Sewell, CEO of SmartFrame Technologies, said the partnership highlights a shift in how professional sports organizations are approaching ownership and value in digital media. “For decades, sports teams around the world have produced exceptional images, only to lose control of them once they appear online,” said Sewell. “We’re delighted to have the New York Jets as the first NFL team to adopt our technology for their official images, turning visual content into a strategic asset rather than a cost of doing business, and joining other leading sports organizations already enjoying the same benefits.”

New York Jets official images will be published on SmartFrame Images.

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About the New York Jets

The New York Jets were founded in 1959 as the New York Titans and served as a charter member of the American Football League. Following the 1968 season, the team made history by becoming the first AFL franchise to win a world championship, defeating the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III – a victory widely credited with validating the AFL ahead of its 1970 merger with the NFL. Today, as one of the league’s flagship franchises in the nation’s largest media market, the Jets represent the sport on one of its biggest global stages.

The Jets enhance the fan experience through innovation and storytelling, including 1JD Entertainment, a digital content platform that connects fans across social and digital channels. The organization is also committed to community impact, supporting youth football, girls’ and women’s flag football, and programs serving disadvantaged communities throughout the tri-state area.

The Jets play at MetLife Stadium – one of the world’s most successful multi-use venues – and are headquartered at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, New Jersey. For more information about the New York Jets, visit newyorkjets.com

About SmartFrame Technologies

Founded in 2015, SmartFrame Technologies is a London-based technology company redefining the standard for online image publishing through its secure image-streaming platform. It connects sports brands and other content owners with publishers, advertisers, and online audiences, ensuring images are delivered in the highest quality with robust protection, clear provenance, and detailed analytics.

Through its contextual advertising technology, brands can engage audiences with high-impact, in-image advertising and sponsorships tailored to viewer interests, while remaining compliant with global privacy regulations. In 2025, the company launched SmartFrame Images, the first platform to exclusively offer free, rights-cleared, embeddable editorial images. For more information on SmartFrame, visit smartframe.com

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Press release: SmartFrame Technologies Unveils the World’s First Free, Embeddable Editorial Image Library

SmartFrame — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 09:59:26 +0000

New SmartFrame Images platform empowers publishers and image owners, with over 40 million rights-cleared, embeddable images, while ensuring fair compensation for all

London, UK – 5 November 2025: SmartFrame Technologies, the London-based company redefining the digital image standard, today announces the launch of SmartFrame Images – the world’s first library of free, high-quality, embeddable editorial images.

The new platform, which is accessible at smartframe.com, already offers over 40 million images, with millions more added weekly via SmartFrame’s growing global content partner network.

SmartFrame Images also features a growing collection of official and exclusive sports photography, including unique content from Manchester City FC, Everton FC, Brentford FC, Six Nations Rugby, and New Zealand Rugby. Beyond sport, the library spans news and entertainment, lifestyle, culture, science, and more, providing a definitive visual resource for publishers worldwide. Content partners whose images are already available on the platform include action press international, ZUMA Press, SIPA USA, Pro Sports Images, News Images, and Every Second Media.

Publishers gain unlimited access to premium images at no cost, and receive a share of revenue generated from high-impact, privacy-compliant advertising served within the images themselves. This model creates a new income stream for publishers while ensuring that image rights holders are fairly compensated. With multi-layered protection over image theft integrated into images as standard, it also addresses long-standing issues of image theft and devaluation in the photography industry.

Furthermore, with SmartFrame’s WordPress plugin, users can instantly add SmartFrame images to their site without leaving their CMS. WordPress currently powers over 43% of all websites worldwide, which represents an estimated 470–560 million active sites.

All images on the platform are capable of integrating Content Credentials, a technology standard that enables transparent verification of image authenticity and provenance, along with integrated captions that ensure proper context and attribution.

“The launch of SmartFrame Images represents not only the most significant milestone in our company’s history, but also the greatest evolution in the image licensing industry since it went digital,” said Rob Sewell, CEO and Co-Founder of SmartFrame Technologies. “For years, content owners have faced rampant image theft and declining revenues, while publishers have struggled with restrictive licensing fees and complex usage terms. At the same time, the ability to trust what we see online has never been more critical, as AI tools evolve and synthetic media becomes increasingly prevalent. SmartFrame Images addresses these challenges through a single, holistic solution, delivering millions of secure, authenticated, high-quality images that are completely free to use, via a transparent platform that rewards both image owners and publishers fairly.”

Visit smartframe.com to explore the collection.

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About SmartFrame Technologies

Founded in 2015, SmartFrame Technologies is a London-based technology company redefining the standard for online image publishing through its secure image-streaming platform.

It connects sports brands and other content owners with publishers, advertisers, and online audiences, ensuring images are delivered in the highest quality with robust protection, clear provenance, and detailed analytics.

In 2025, the company launched SmartFrame Images, the first platform to exclusively offer free, rights-cleared, embeddable editorial images.

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Press release: SmartFrame Technologies launches Brentford Football Club Official Photography Library

Matt Golowczynski — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 10:17:00 +0000

London, UK – 13 March 2025: SmartFrame Technologies, a leading UK-based tech provider that is redefining the digital image standard, has today announced that Brentford FC is the latest sports organization to implement the company’s revolutionary streaming technology for its official images.

Images captured at Brentford FC games and other official events will be published online in the new Brentford FC Official Photography Library. These images and their associated rights will be fully owned by Brentford FC, providing maximum control and unlocking commercialization opportunities. They will also be made available to publishing partners at no cost, with both parties entitled to a share of revenues from advertising that is occasionally displayed in these images.

Today’s announcement sees Brentford FC become the third Premier League club to adopt SmartFrame’s technology, following Manchester City FC and Everton FC. Other prominent sports organizations now using SmartFrame’s platform for their official image libraries include New Zealand Rugby and Six Nations Rugby. These collections are part of more than 660 million images that SmartFrame makes available in its proprietary format, sourced from a range of content partners worldwide.

Fran Jones, Commercial Director of Brentford FC, said: “At Brentford FC, a forward-thinking approach and innovation are a part of our DNA. We’re pleased to be partnering with SmartFrame, who align so well with us on these values. Our partnership will give us access to their advanced technology for documenting and sharing our moments both on and off the field. We look forward to collaborating with SmartFrame and transforming the way we present and licence the club’s imagery going forward.”

James Prosser, Global Sports Director of SmartFrame Technologies, said: “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Brentford FC to the SmartFrame family. We have already built a strong rapport with the club’s commercial team over the past few months, and their positivity and openness have made it clear that we share many common values. As more high-profile organizations join us, we move closer to our goal of revolutionizing online image publishing and commercialization.”

Visit the Brentford FC Official Photography Library

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About Brentford Football Club

Formed in 1889, Brentford Football Club is a bit different to other Premier League football clubs. Working innovatively is an important part of how the club conducts itself.

We put our fans first, we are a true community club and while we are financially sustainable, we are not afraid to take calculated risks. We take huge pride in our environment and culture within the club which focuses on development, inclusion and not being afraid to think differently.

Being progressive, humble and respectful while sticking together as one team across the club guides how we work and the decisions we make each day.

About SmartFrame Technologies

Founded in 2015, SmartFrame Technologies is a London-based technology provider whose image-streaming platform redefines the standard for online image publishing.

It unites sports brands and other content owners with publishers, advertisers, and online audiences, and ensures that images are delivered in the highest quality with maximum security, clear provenance, and detailed analytics.

Furthermore, through its contextual ad tech component, brands can reach audiences with high-impact, contextually targeted, in-image advertising and sponsorship placements in a way that recognizes the interests of its viewers and simultaneously complies with global privacy regulations.

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Press release: Six Nations Rugby and SmartFrame Agree Photography and Image-Streaming Partnership

SmartFrame — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:00:47 +0000

Six Nations Rugby adopts innovative image-streaming distribution model, unlocking new sponsorship revenues, audience insights and fan-engagement tools

London, UK – 1 February 2024: SmartFrame Technologies, a leading UK-based tech provider that is redefining the digital image standard, has today announced a new partnership with Six Nations Rugby, the organisation responsible for several major international rugby competitions, including the Guinness Men’s Six Nations, Guinness Women’s Six Nations, Under-20 Six Nations, Under-18 Festivals, and the Autumn Nations Series.

The partnership sees SmartFrame become the official photography and image-streaming distribution partner for all Six Nations Rugby Championships and competitions, highlighting its significant role in restructuring the sports photography space.

Today’s announcement presents a new media model for sponsors and commercial partners associated with Six Nations Rugby, and empowers a greater number of brands to align themselves with these events, facilitated through SmartFrame’s in-image advertising solution. The overall experience for fans and consumers of sports news will be enhanced through interactive features (including full-screen viewing and SmartFrame’s proprietary Hyper Zoom technology) and improved relevance of ads within content related to the competitions. SmartFrame’s existing advertising partners will also have the opportunity to connect with the Six Nations Rugby brand, and to reach a global audience of rugby fans and sports enthusiasts through tailored advertising for specific images, websites, geolocations, and devices.

SmartFrame’s model ensures that Six Nations Rugby retains the rights to images taken throughout its competitions and profits from the revenues generated through advertising displayed within those images, challenging the dominance of industry giants that usually retain the IP of images that sports brands pay them to capture.

Under this commercial model, publishers will be able to embed official images on their websites for free and receive a share of in-image sponsorship revenue. Six Nations Rugby’s imagery will still be available to fans and media organisations around the world via traditional photo agency subscriptions, but only publishers using official Six Nations Rugby images are able to benefit from SmartFrame’s innovative image-streaming technology and a share of sponsorship revenues.

Sarah Beattie, Chief Marketing Officer of Six Nations Rugby, said “SmartFrame has established itself as a globally respected and widely trusted brand within the industry, with a growing portfolio of other major sports organisations. The digital and user-first approach stands to deliver a better fan experience and the commercial model provides a genuine opportunity to deliver returns for our unions and partners, which will ultimately go back into the game.”

Rob Sewell, CEO of SmartFrame Technologies, said: “We’re delighted to add Six Nations Rugby to an already impressive roster of sporting partnerships for SmartFrame Technologies. We are redefining the digital image standard and distribution model to empower image owners, offering them complete control and transparency over the use of their images, while our ad-funded commercial model is channelling substantial revenue back into the hands of content creators. We’re very proud to partner with a sports brand as iconic and forward-thinking as Six Nations Rugby.”

The Six Nations Rugby Official Photography Library can be found here.

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About SmartFrame Technologies

Founded in 2015, SmartFrame Technologies is a London-based technology provider whose image-streaming platform redefines the standard for online image publishing. It unites sports brands and other content owners with publishers, advertisers, and online audiences, and ensures that images are delivered in the highest quality with maximum security, clear provenance, and detailed analytics. Furthermore, through its contextual ad tech component, brands can reach audiences with high-impact, contextually targeted, in-image advertising and sponsorship placements in a way that recognizes the interests of its viewers and simultaneously complies with global privacy regulations.

About Six Nations Rugby

Six Nations Rugby is the official organisation responsible for the annual international rugby competitions that include the Guinness Six Nations, Guinness Women’s Six Nations, Under-20 Six Nations, Under-18 Festivals, and the Autumn Nations Series. Six Nations Rugby operates on behalf of and in partnership with its shareholders, that include its member unions and federations: England (RFU), France (FFR), Ireland (IRFU), Italy (FIR), Scotland (SRU) and Wales (WRU). Primary responsibilities of Six Nations Rugby include the negotiation and management of centralised commercial rights on behalf of its shareholders, as well as the promotion and operation of its annual Championships and competitions. Six Nations Rugby is proud to work with the following partners: Guinness, Sage, Breitling and IHG Hotels & Resorts.

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Press release: World-renowned sports photographer Lynne Cameron joins SmartFrame

SmartFrame — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 10:00:51 +0000

London, UK – 10 January 2024: SmartFrame Technologies, a UK-based technology provider specializing in image streaming, is delighted to announce the appointment of Lynne Cameron as Regional Manager – Oceania.

One of the world’s most respected sports photographers working today, Cameron has garnered much acclaim throughout her career. Cameron brings vast experience working with elite teams such as Manchester City F.C. and the England Women’s National Football Team, and has previously served as the official photographer for Rangers F.C. and the Scottish Rugby Union.

She has captured some of the world’s most prestigious sporting events and has complemented her award-winning photographic career with consultancy work for major editorial and commercial brands, in addition to serving as the Vice-Chair of the British Press Photographers’ Association (BPPA).

Cameron will be a key relationship manager for SmartFrame’s New Zealand Rugby account and will continue to be based in New Zealand. She will work closely with Joel Miller, Global Director of Content, and Jennifer Clements, Global Director of Publishing, developing relationships with publishers, photo agencies, and libraries in the APAC region. Alongside her new responsibilities, Cameron will continue to capture official images for the New Zealand Rugby Official Photography Library.

It’s estimated that $376bn will be spent on contextual advertising by 2027 due to the demise of the third-party cookie, a sizeably larger revenue opportunity than the image licensing market currently offers content owners.  Rob Sewell, CEO of SmartFrame Technologies, said: “Having worked with Lynne on the deployment of the photography services for New Zealand Rugby, and seeing first-hand what an exceptional photographer and human being she is, I’m delighted to bring her into the SmartFrame team. She is an amazing asset with a well-rounded skill set, and she will add significant value to the business.”

Cameron adds: “I’m very excited to be joining SmartFrame at this time, and to be working even more closely with New Zealand Rugby and other major sporting brands, while being able to continue photographing athletes in the high-performance sports environments I’m passionate about. I look forward to helping the company’s growing roster of clients get the most out of what are clearly industry-leading services, and fostering new relationships with an even broader pool of content owners and publishers who are keen to adopt SmartFrame’s model.”

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About SmartFrame Technologies

Founded in 2015, SmartFrame Technologies is a London-based technology provider whose image-streaming platform redefines the standard for online image publishing. Its platform, which offers over 620 million images for embedding, unites sports brands and other content owners with publishers, advertisers, and online audiences, and ensures that images are delivered in the highest quality with maximum security, clear provenance, and detailed analytics. Furthermore, through its contextual ad tech component, brands can reach audiences with high-impact, contextually targeted, in-image advertising and sponsorship placements in a way that recognises the interests of its viewers and simultaneously complies with global privacy regulations.

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Press release: SmartFrame Technologies appoints Andrea Mason as Global Advertising Sales Director

SmartFrame — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:00:18 +0000

London, UK – 16 November 2023: SmartFrame Technologies, a UK-based technology provider specializing in image streaming, is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrea Mason as its new Global Advertising Sales Director.

Mason joins with extensive experience in developing advertising strategy and client relationships in the media industry. Her most recent appointment was Managing Partner at What’s Possible Group, where she led the digital transformation of the Connections marketplace that the company acquired in 2020. This followed several senior roles at Dennis Publishing over a 15-year period, including Group Advertising Director, where she played an instrumental role in leading the advertising department and maximizing revenue across multiple markets and platforms.

Mason, who joins the senior leadership team in the company’s London office, will take ownership of SmartFrame’s contextual advertising proposition and be tasked with developing business in existing sectors and identifying new opportunities. Furthermore, Mason will lead the development and expansion of the ad sales team and its global operations as the business continues to grow.

SmartFrame is transforming the digital image file format and distribution model, while simultaneously changing the terms of trade of image assets. By moving the industry away from a low-cost JPEG-licensing model – a $4bn industry that has been in terminal decline for over a decade – to a free, embeddable file format with an in-image advertising revenue share for both publishers and content owners, the company is creating a fairer, more transparent, and prosperous industry for the benefit of all. It’s estimated that $376bn will be spent on contextual advertising by 2027 due to the demise of the third-party cookie, a sizably larger revenue opportunity than the image licensing market currently offers content owners.

Rob Sewell, CEO of SmartFrame Technologies, said: “Andrea’s extensive experience in advertising, coupled with her understanding of the publisher marketplace, will be invaluable as we execute our strategy and continue to scale the business. I’ve every confidence that, under her stewardship, our ad sales team will deliver even stronger results as more and more brands incorporate the benefits of our contextual targeting platform into their ad planning.”

“With the death of the third-party cookie, contextual targeting is undoubtedly set for significant growth over the coming years,” says Mason. “The fact that SmartFrame understands and addresses publishers’ other key concerns, notably around sustainability and brand safety, makes it an even stronger and more logical proposition for brands navigating their way through this period of change. I’m excited to be joining such a forward-thinking company, and it’s wonderful to know that I can be a part of its trajectory as contextual targeting gains prominence.”

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About SmartFrame Technologies

Founded in 2015, SmartFrame Technologies is a London-based technology provider whose image-streaming platform redefines the standard for online image publishing. Its platform, which currently streams over 620 million images, unites sports brands and other content owners with publishers, advertisers, and online audiences, and ensures that images are delivered in the highest quality with maximum security, clear provenance, and detailed analytics. Furthermore, through its contextual ad tech component, brands can reach audiences with high-impact, contextually targeted, in-image advertising and sponsorship placements in a way that recognizes the interests of its viewers and simultaneously complies with global privacy regulations.

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Press release: SmartFrame Technologies appoints Alan Capel as Chief Commercial Officer

SmartFrame — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 10:01:37 +0000

London, UK – 2 November 2023: SmartFrame Technologies, a UK-based technology provider specializing in image streaming, is pleased to announce the appointment of Alan Capel, who joins the company as its Chief Commercial Officer.

Capel joins the business with over 30 years of experience in the image licensing industry. Prior to his new appointment, Capel served as the Director of Business Transformation, Operations Director, Commercial Director, and Head of Content at Alamy, roles preceded by senior positions at Getty Images.

In his new role, Capel will be tasked with defining and executing commercial strategies and identifying new opportunities to help accelerate SmartFrame’s business growth and mission to redefine the digital image standard. Additionally, he will oversee commercial operations across sales and marketing functions.

Capel’s arrival comes at the end of a transformational year for SmartFrame in which it has seen its image-streaming platform grow to offer over 620 million embeddable images to publishers, free of charge, from a global assortment of image agencies. This collection includes over 82,000 images from New Zealand Rugby, who appointed SmartFrame as its official photography and image-streaming partner earlier this year. To help continue growth, along with the appointment of Alan, the company plans to increase its headcount by 45% by the end of 2024’s first quarter.

“It’s an honor to be able to bring Alan on board,” explains Rob Sewell, CEO of SmartFrame Technologies. “Having strong commercial leadership is crucial for our growth strategy, and Alan brings exceptional knowledge and experience from the imaging industry to SmartFrame. I’m confident he will play a pivotal role in strengthening the business and moving the industry across to our new model for image content while making us even more prominent in the sectors in which we have established ourselves as a true innovator.”

“It was always going to take something different and innovative with real potential to disrupt and challenge the status quo to bring me back to the photography industry, and this was too good an opportunity to turn down,” says Capel. “I’ve known Rob and most of the senior leadership team for some time, and have followed the SmartFrame story since the company’s inception. The deals that have already been done, together with those in the pipeline, reflect the tip of the iceberg of the potential for SmartFrame to revolutionize how we work with images and how they work for us, whether we are photographers, ad agencies, publishers, or brands. It’s clear that the company has the strategy and the desire to deliver something transformational that can change the future outlook for the industry I have worked in for over three decades – and I very much want to be a part of the success story.”

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About SmartFrame Technologies

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Press release: SmartFrame Technologies’ image-streaming network grows by 200m images

SmartFrame — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 08:55:16 +0000

London, UK – 11 September 2023: SmartFrame Technologies, a UK-based tech provider that is redefining the digital image standard, is excited to announce a major enhancement to its offering, thanks to a new partnership with leading German-based photography agency action press international.

The partnership allows online publishers to embed all of action press international’s content into their websites, completely free of charge, which currently totals over 200 million images. It represents a significant step towards SmartFrame’s mission of redefining the digital image distribution and commercial model by transforming how digital images are published, consumed, and monetized online, ultimately creating a fairer, more transparent, and more prosperous ecosystem for all.

Following the successful launch of the New Zealand Rugby partnership earlier this summer, which saw action press international taking responsibility for capturing all official New Zealand Rugby content, action press international has now fully adopted SmartFrame’s model for its entire content archives.

Rob Sewell, CEO of SmartFrame Technologies, said: “The inclusion of action press international into the SmartFrame ecosystem is a monumental step forward in our mission to transform the digital image landscape. By combining action press international’s incredible library of images with SmartFrame’s technology, we are bettering our position to deliver unprecedented value to photographers, publishers, advertisers, and audiences alike.”

By delivering premium contextual advertisements within correspondingly premium images, SmartFrame aims to reshape the digital image ecosystem and re-empower photographers worldwide. Much like the YouTube model, SmartFrame is monetizing the audience consuming the content and paying the creators from the advertising displayed in them, as opposed to licensing the asset itself. By doing so, it’s tapping into the rapidly expanding contextual advertising market, which is estimated to grow from $178bn in 2021 to $562.1bn by 2030.

Publishers embed SmartFrame images into their editorial content completely free of charge and in a copyright-compliant way. SmartFrame images are delivered in the highest possible resolution without affecting page load times, while providing an interactive and more engaging content experience to the end user, increasing dwell times through interactive features such as full-screen viewing and the company’s proprietary Hyper Zoom technology.

Publishers also gain new image data and insights through SmartFrame’s data and analytics panel, along with new incremental revenue streams from occasional contextually targeted advertising served within these images. The ads are targeted to the metadata of the photo, the context of the page, and the viewer’s location and device, which keeps advertising relevant to the content the viewer is consuming, thus increasing engagement for the advertising brands.

Thanks to its existing partnerships with image agencies around the world, today’s announcement brings the total number of SmartFrame images now available to publishers to embed for free to over 620 million.

Ulli Michel, CEO of action press international, added: “With the success of our New Zealand Rugby partnership, joining forces with SmartFrame was a natural evolution for us. Our commitment to capturing timeless moments with photography aligns with SmartFrame’s vision for a fairer digital future for all those involved with photography. We are excited to see our rich archive of content gain renewed commercial value through the SmartFrame platform, opening new avenues for engagement and revenue generation for all stakeholders involved in online media.”

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About SmartFrame Technologies

Founded in 2015, SmartFrame Technologies is a London-based software provider that’s redefining the digital image standard. Its SmartFrame platform allows content owners and brands to protect their assets and present them in the best possible way, while also allowing publishers to source and embed high-quality authenticated images for free, and for everyone involved to generate new revenue streams by way of in-image advertising.

About action press international

action press international GmbH (Hamburg) is active in 120 countries and, together with partners, relies on a network of around 5,000 photographers. Together with ddp Media GmbH, also based in Hamburg, it is part of action press AG, which is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. The photo agency group has one of the largest databases of digital media assets in the world, with a stock of more than 200 million photos and videos. action press is regarded as a leading brand for news, sports and entertainment content. ddp is the cross-departmental quality provider of photos, which includes the brands ddp images, Picture Press, Intertopics and Food Centrale, as well as the photo agency Stella Pictures (Stockholm). The Management Board of action press AG is made up of Ulli Michel and Prof. Moritz Hunzinger, while Vicente Poveda is CEO of ddp Media GmbH.

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Press release: SmartFrame Technologies announces changes to its Board of Directors

SmartFrame — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 08:55:02 +0000

London: 24th July, 2023 – SmartFrame Technologies, a UK-based SaaS technology provider specializing in image streaming, today announces a number of changes to its Board of Directors.

David Jervis, current CEO of the Advisory arm of SRL Global and previously Managing Director at Ventura Capital, has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director. In addition to holding several senior positions in the investment banking industry for over three decades, including management roles across EMEA and APAC at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, David’s recent history has been focused on disruptive technologies.

“David’s wealth of experience around corporate advisory and business strategy will be invaluable to SmartFrame Technologies as the company enters a new chapter in its growth, while his interest in disruptive technology makes him a clear and natural fit for the company,” explains Robert Sewell, CEO of SmartFrame Technologies. “I’m delighted to welcome David to the Board.”

James Rutherford, who has served as Non-Executive Chairman of SmartFrame Technologies since 2018, has also now been appointed as Corporate Development and Investment Advisor. Rutherford, who will continue in his role as Non-Executive Chairman, most recently headed the European Equities division at Federated Hermes International, a position that capped a 35-year career in investment management.

“Having looked at and followed thousands of different businesses and opportunities over the years, SmartFrame has always stood out,” says Rutherford. “Its globally scalable technology, built over many years, has opened up a blue ocean market opportunity. I’m very excited at the prospect of being able to devote even more of my time and efforts to help continue the company’s transformation into the global standard for image publishing.”

“James has been instrumental to the company’s success and growth to date, and it’s difficult to picture where SmartFrame would be without his chairmanship over these past five years,” continued Sewell. “And now, with the groundwork for rapid adoption across various industries firmly in place, I’m thrilled that he will be able to play an even more significant role in the company’s continued trajectory.”

The company has also announced that Luke Vines, Chief Operating Officer of SmartFrame Technologies, has joined the Board. Luke has served as the company’s COO since 2015 and will continue in this role.

Additionally, Non-Executive Directors William Flind and Juyan Wang have stepped down from the Board. “I would like to thank William and Juyan for their many contributions to SmartFrame’s success,” said Sewell. “I’m grateful for their guidance and service to the company over the years and I wish them both the very best.”

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About SmartFrame Technologies Ltd

Founded in 2015, SmartFrame Technologies Ltd is a London-based software provider whose aim is to redefine the digital image standard for the benefit of photographers, visual artists, and organizations. Through its SmartFrame platform, the company has a global footprint of clients and partners using its technology to protect, track, control, present and monetize their content.

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Press release: New Zealand Rugby kicks off game-changing partnership with SmartFrame to gain full ownership of its images

SmartFrame — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 04:55:56 +0000

London UK, 5 July 2023: SmartFrame Technologies, a leading UK-based tech start-up that is redefining the digital image standard, has today announced its appointment as the official photography and image-distribution partner of New Zealand Rugby (NZR).

SmartFrame has enlisted the services of action press international – a leading photography service provider – led by Ulli Michel, former Global Pictures Editor of Reuters, to capture all official photography of the All Blacks, Black Ferns, Māori All Blacks, and NZR’s other Teams in Black.

SmartFrame has also partnered with leading digital asset management specialist picturemaxx, whose platform is used to store and distribute all images within the library.

The SmartFrame model assigns the rights to these images to NZR and allows the organization to profit from the revenues generated by occasional in-image advertising that will be displayed within the images. Under this new commercial model, publishers will be able to embed these images on their websites without charge, and if they participate in SmartFrame’s Publisher Program they will also be eligible to a share of in-image advertising revenue.

NZR’s imagery will still be available to fans and media organizations around the world via traditional photo agency subscriptions, but only publishers using official SmartFrame images will be able to access them for free. SmartFrame’s official images will be exclusively distributed online using the company’s innovative image-streaming technology.

The partnership provides a new media space for NZR’s sponsors and commercial partners, powered by SmartFrame’s in-image advertising system and an improved experience for fans and sports news consumers. Advertisers partnered with SmartFrame can associate with the NZR brand, reaching its fans and wider rugby audiences around the world with ads targeted to specific images, websites, geolocations, and devices. The result is high-impact, unmissable, contextual advertising campaigns in the heart of the editorial content fans are already consuming.

The digital advertising industry is expected to grow to $836bn by 2026. SmartFrame’s ad-funded model generates rich new revenue streams for publishers, photographers, and NZR by monetizing the audience viewing an official SmartFrame image as opposed to licensing the asset. The $4bn image licensing industry has been in decline for over a decade, due to low-cost licensing and mass misuse of JPEG images. Thanks to SmartFrame’s technology, content owners can now generate revenue every time images are viewed, ensuring they are once again compensated fairly for their work.

The partnership also allows NZR to regain ownership and control of its teams’ official photography – a game-changer in an ecosystem monopolized by industry giants that retain ownership of the IP of images sports brands pay them to capture.

“Imagery has always been a key component in bringing our sport closer to the fans. We’re very proud of this partnership with SmartFrame and to be the first sports team to pioneer this innovative image-streaming technology to drive both new and richer revenue opportunities and a vastly improved fan experience from our official images,” said Yarnie Guthrie, Global Head of Commercial Sales at NZR. “As the sports and media ecosystems evolve, we must adapt and question the status quo. In doing so, we’ve been able to win back the rights to our own imagery, while uncovering new data, audience insights, and a new commercial model that has huge potential.”

The exclusive, official, and authenticated NZR images are now available for publishers to embed as SmartFrame images for free. Advantages include:

Engaging functionality, increased dwell times, and content satisfaction
Access to new image data and analytics, while removing image licensing costs
Images turned into revenue-generating ad formats via contextually relevant advertising, streamed into the image frame
Ad revenues split between all parties involved, creating a new image ecosystem that is ethical and benefits all

The technology will also drive improved fan engagement for NZR. SmartFrame images will provide immersive, high-resolution imagery and interactive features like full-screen viewing and Hyper Zoom technology, as well as crucial audience insights and protection against image theft and misuse.

Rob Sewell, CEO of SmartFrame Technologies, said: “This first-of-its-kind partnership with New Zealand Rugby marks a significant shift, not just in the sports image industry, but across the entire image ecosystem. We’re redefining the digital image standard and distribution model to empower the rights of image owners and provide them with full control and transparency over the use of their images, along with an ad-funded commercial model (much like YouTube or Spotify) that can transform the industry and drive significant revenue growth once again into the hands of the creators. We’re very proud to be able to partner with such an iconic sports brand which is globally recognized for its ethics, drive, and forward-thinking innovations, to demonstrate to the world what the future looks like when it comes to image ownership, protection, controlled distribution and commercialization.”

Visit the New Zealand Rugby Official Photography Library.

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About SmartFrame Technologies

About New Zealand Rugby
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) is one of New Zealand’s largest sports organizations, with a team committed to ensuring that our national game is run smoothly and effectively at all levels, all over New Zealand.

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