J57 Internet Publishing and Broadcasting

Netflix meets its match in blocking wars

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Original article by Chris Griffith
The Australian – Page: 3 : 22-Jan-16

Netflix has started to block Australian customers from accessing content that is exclusively available to people in the US. It is estimated that prior to its local launch in 2015, about 340,000 Australians accessed Netflix in the US using an unblocking service or virtual private network, and many still do so as some Netflix content is not available in Australia. Unblocking services are already working on ways to bypass Netflix’s new policy.

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED, UFLIX.COM.AU, UNBLOCK-US.COM

Netflix growth slows, Stan lifts

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 20-Jan-16

The Stan subscription video-on-demand service gained more than 100,000 customers in December 2015, according to CEO Mike Sneesby. Stan’s subscriber base is expected to top 700,000 by 26 January 2016, one year after the service was launched. Meanwhile, data from Roy Morgan Research shows that growth in Netflix subscribers slowed in the December quarter, although it is now accessed by 2.73 million Australians.

CORPORATES
STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WARNER BROS

Megastar Millionaire wins investor vote

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Original article by Trevor Chappell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 14-Jan-16

MSM Corporation International listed on the Australian sharemarket on 13 January 2016, via a reverse takeover of Minerals Corporation. The digital media and entertainment group has developed Megastar Millionaire, a digital platform that allows users to view and vote on contestants in online talent shows. MSM shares closed at $A0.091, compared with an issue price of $A0.06 in an IPO that raised $A7m.

CORPORATES
MSM CORPORATION INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – ASX MSM, MINERALS CORPORATION LIMITED, DIGITAL RIOT

All TV destined for internet in next 10 or 20 years, says Netflix CEO

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Original article by Madhumita Murgia
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 11-Jan-16

It is estimated that Netflix now accounts for 36.5 per cent of prime-time internet traffic, while 3.2 billion people in 60 countries watched Netflix content during 2015. The US-based subscription video-on-demand provider was launched in an additional 130 countries in early January 2016, which will offset slowing growth in subscriber numbers in the US. Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings has forecast that TV content will be viewed solely online within two decades. Originally published in "The Daily Telegraph".

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON STUDIOS

Wheatley’s new radio wagers on TopBetta

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Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 16 : 4-Jan-16

EON Sports Radio CEO Glenn Wheatley says the new national sports radio network has secured TopBetta as its exclusive wagering partner. The Australian-listed TopBetta specialises in fantasy wagering, while it also produces sports content. TopBetta and EON will jointly produce a sports program for the digital-only radio network. EON has also secured the Australian radio broadcasting rights to English Premier League matches.

CORPORATES
EON SPORTS RADIO PTY LTD, TOPBETTA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TBH, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, EON-FM, TRIPLE M CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, G1X

Seven serving up streaming

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Original article by Max Mason
The Age – Page: 25 : 14-Dec-15

Seven West Media’s tennis coverage during January 2015 was streamed 4.4 million times, with the bulk of viewers using tablets or mobile phones. The media group will stream more than 2,100 hours of tennis during January 2016, and will use its experience of the previous year to improve its coverage. Seven’s new and existing tennis sponsors have bought packages for both its traditional TV broadcasts and online coverage.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, HOPMAN CUP PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WILLIAM HILL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BLACKMORES LIMITED – ASX BKL, INDUSTRY SUPERANNUATION FUND, KIA MOTORS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, THE EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP

News Corp grabs stake in hipages

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Original article by Darren Davidson, Damon Kitney
The Australian – Page: 23 : 7-Dec-15

News Corp Australia executives Brett Clegg and Alisa Bowen are expected to become directors of hipages following a strategic alliance between the two companies. News Corp has bought a 25 per cent stake in the home improvement portal, which provides householders with free quotes from tradespeople such as plumbers and electricians. Hipages was founded in 2004 and now boasts 200 employees. Seven West Media and Fairfax Media were also interested in investing in hipages.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, HIPAGES GROUP PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FAIRFAX MAGAZINES, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, SERVICE SEEKING PTY LTD, THUMBTACK, GOOGLE CAPITAL, SEQUOIA CAPITAL LLP, ELLERSTON CAPITAL PTY LTD, RIGHT CLICK CAPITAL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Connected families flowing fast to streaming

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Original article by Chris Griffith, Gina Rushton
The Australian – Page: 3 : 26-Nov-15

It is estimated that some 10 per cent of Australian households now have access to Netflix, while rival subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) provider Stan has indicated that it has nearly 400,000 subscribers. Research by Telsyte shows that the average household now boasts more than nine internet-connected devices, and more people are opting to watch TVs and movies via SVOD than free-to-air TV.

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, TELSYTE PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, RUGBY WORLD CUP LIMITED, THE EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP

Optus sets bar high for Premier League games

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Original article by David Ramli
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 13-Nov-15

Singtel Optus has posted a 2015-16 interim net profit of $A426m net profit, which is eight per cent higher than previously. EBITDA and revenue were up 7.8 per cent and 9.3 per cent respectively. Meanwhile, Optus is yet to finalise the packages and prices for its coverage of English Premier League (EPL) matches, for which it recently gained the exclusive Australian rights. CEO Allen Lew has stressed that Optus’s live streams of EPL matches will be in high definition.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, VODAFONE HUTCHISON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FETCHTV PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

2.677 million Australians have Netflix as subscriptions surpass one million homes

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-Nov-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that the number of Australian homes with a Netflix subscription rose by 11.4 per cent in October 2015 to 1,039,000. Some 2.677 million Australians aged 14+ now live in a home with a Netflix subscription. The survey also shows that 19.3 per cent of Australians bought a DVD in an average three-month period during the six months to September 2015, compared with 20.6 per cent in an average three months in the six months to September 2014. Likewise, the rate of downloading TV shows or movies has fallen from 10.8 per cent a year ago to 9.1 per cent in the six months following the launch of Netflix in Australia.`

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS