Hayu can’t keep up with the Kardashians

Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 18-Apr-16

Technical problems have plagued the Hayu subscription video-on-demand service of US media giant NBC Universal. The reality TV-focused Hayu was launched in March 2016, but some users in Australia have complained that streaming TV shows on Hayu is very slow. A spokesman for NBC Universal concedes that there have been issues with Hayu but says the company is addressing these problems.

CORPORATES
NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED, HAYU, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, COMCAST CORPORATION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, UNIVERSAL PICTURES, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED

Yahoo US deal may see Seven exit JV

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 13-Apr-16

There has been speculation that Australian-listed Seven West Media could seek to exit the Yahoo!7 joint venture if US internet giant Yahoo! divests its news and media assets. The joint venture boated revenue of $A99.6m in 2014-15, and Seven receives 50 per cent of Yahoo!7’s profits. Morgan Stanley recently forecast that global internet groups such as Google and Facebook will account for between $A4bn and $A5bn worth of advertising revenue in 2016.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, YAHOO!7 COMMUNICATIONS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, YAHOO! INCORPORATED, MORGAN STANLEY AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, DAILY MAIL AND GENERAL TRUST PLC, DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, VIACOM INCORPORATED, IAC/INTERACTIVECORP, CBS CORPORATION

Streaming ‘a plague’ on regions

Original article by Gina Rushton
The Australian – Page: 20 : 6-Apr-16

Court proceedings on 5 April 2016 in the legal dispute between Nine Entertainment Company and regional affiliate WIN Corporation centred on the definition of "broadcast". WIN’s barrister, Tony Bannon, argued that the term includes live streaming as well as traditional TV broadcasts. WIN is seeking to have Nine barred from streaming its TV channels into regional markets, in order to protect its own advertising revenue.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN

Legislative and regulatory settings are out of kilter: Williams

Original article by Max Mason
The Age – Page: 15 : 10-Mar-16

Copyright Agency chairman Kim Williams has told the RadComms conference that changes to the regulation of the media sector are needed to reflect the growth of technology companies. He noted that the Australian Communications & Media Authority currently has limited powers to regulate digital media companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and Netflix.

CORPORATES
COPYRIGHT AGENCY LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, APPLE INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Amazon may use ex-Top Gear presenters’ show to launch SVOD here

Original article by Dominic White, John McDuling
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 29-Feb-16

US-based Amazon has declined to comment on speculation that it plans to enter Australia’s subscription video-on-demand market. Industry sources have suggested that the group could launch the Amazon Prime Instant Video service in Australia later in 2016, to capitalise on the popularity of former "Top Gear" presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. They will soon host a new show for Amazon, which could opt to sell the local broadcasting rights to a rival SVOD provider.

CORPORATES
AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, AMAZON PRIME, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, THE BOOK DEPOSITORY LIMITED, DAI POST PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN CONSUMERS’ ASSOCIATION

US giant to make Hayu as reality TV’s sun shines

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 3 : 12-Feb-16

US media group NBC Universal will launch its hayu subscription video-on-demand service in Australia, with subscribers to pay $A5.99 per month after a free one-month trial. Hayu will primarily specialise in reality-TV show such as "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "The Real Housewives", with each show to be available for viewing on the same day they are broadcast in the US.

CORPORATES
NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED, HAYU, COMCAST CORPORATION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Optus prepares for Premier League debut

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 8-Feb-16

Australian telco Optus has yet to provide much detail of its packages for access to English Premier League matches, with its exclusive broadcasting contract to begin in August 2016. However, the telco is said to be planning to introduce a direct-to-consumer subscription-based streaming service for mobile devices and PCs. It is expected to be available to customers of rival telcos, although they will pay a higher price than Optus customers.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB, LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB PLC, ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB PLC, AL JAZEERA, BEIN SPORTS, UNION EUROPEENNE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, DFL DEUTSCHE FUSSBALL LIGA GMBH, FETCHTV PTY LTD, APPLE INCORPORATED, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Viewers shun TV for devices

Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 25 : 1-Feb-16

OzTAM will officially launch its new digital TV ratings system in early February 2016. It will measure the number of people who view TV content online and via portable devices. The launch of the Video Player Measurement system has coincided with a decline in the amount of time people spent watching traditional broadcast TV. The Australian Multi-Screen Report shows that this fell from an average of about three hour per day to just two hours and 49 minutes in the December 2014 quarter.

CORPORATES
OZTAM PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Stan becomes video star with Showtime deal

Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 19 : 29-Jan-16

Australian subscription video-on-demand provider Stan has secured a content deal with CBS Corporation-owned US cable TV network Showtime. The exclusive arrangement will give Stan exclusive local rights to all new Showtime content for at least five years, as well as its existing catalogue of TV shows. Stan, which is a joint venture between Fairfax Media and Nine Entertainment Company, is believed to have about 700,000 gross subscribers.

CORPORATES
STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SHOWTIME, CBS CORPORATION, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SKY PLC, BELL MEDIA, WARNER BROS

Execs hail digital TV ratings

Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 19 : 28-Jan-16

The Ten Network’s chief ­programming officer, Beverley McGarvey, says the introduction of OzTAM’s digital TV ratings system is an "important step forward" for the media sector. The new Video Player Measurement report has also been welcomed by Steve Weaver, the Nine Network’s director of audience analytics and insights. The new report will provide data on content that is viewed online via the networks’ catch-up services.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, OZTAM PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD