Uncategorized

$1bn battle for cricket broadcast rights

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 20 : 29-Jan-18

One of Australia’s free-to-air TV networks could potentially bid for cricket broadcasting rights in partnership with Fox Sports. Telcos and technology companies are also believed to be interested in a broadcasting deal, with Cricket Australia set to commence negotiations in the next week. The total cost of the next five-year deal for cricket broadcasting rights could approach $A1bn, with expectations that the Big Bash League rights may cost up to $A250m, compared with $A100m under the current deal.

CORPORATES
FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CBS CORPORATION, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, SKY PLC, BT PLC, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, FOOTBALL FEDERATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

JB Hi-Fi wins again, but Freedom biggest improver

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Jan-18

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that JB Hi-Fi is again Australia’s leading electrical and furniture retailer, with a customer satisfaction rating of 90.9% in November 2017. JB Hi-Fi’s customer satisfaction improved 0.5% from a year ago to hold off a fast improving Ikea on 89.6% (up 5.2% from a year ago), and ahead of JB Hi-Fi stablemate The Good Guys on 88.7%. However, the biggest improver over the past year was Freedom, which increased its customer satisfaction rating by 6.4% to 81.8% in November – its highest rating since April 2014. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says JB Hi-Fi is in the box seat to win its fourth Roy Morgan Annual Customer Satisfaction Award at the 2017 Awards in February, adding that between them JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys have won a total of 8 Annual Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards since 2011.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, IKEA TRADING PTY LTD, THE GOOD GUYS, FREEDOM FURNITURE, FANTASTIC FURNITURE, STEINHOFF INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LIMITED

Consumers are in surprisingly sunny mood

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 41 : 25-Jan-18

UBS forcasts that Australian retail sales will rise by 2.6 per cent overall in 2018, while growth in discretionary spending is expected to slow to just two per cent. Craig James of CommSec notes that consumers were upbeat leading into 2018, citing factors such as historically low interest rates, the strong growth in jobs in 2017 and the recent rise in the value of the Australian dollar. However, the ANZ/Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence index has eased 3.3 per cent to 119.9, although consumer confidence is still higher that its long-term average of 112.9.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED, ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, NONI B LIMITED – ASX NBL, ADAIRS LIMITED – ASX ADH, LOVISA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX LOV, RETAIL FOOD GROUP LIMITED – ASX RFG, THE PAS GROUP LIMITED – ASX PGR, AUSTRALIAN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED – ASX API, PRICELINE PHARMACY, MICHAEL HILL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – ASX MHJ, EMMA AND ROE, KATHMANDU HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX KMD, ARNHEM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Sport proves a winning formula for Seven West Media

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 41 : 25-Jan-18

Seven West Media hopes to retain tennis broadcasting rights when its current contract expires in 2019. Data from Seven shows that audiences for its TV coverage of the 2018 Australian Open are six per cent higher than in 2017, while there has been 135 per cent growth in the number of minutes of Open coverage streamed via its 7Tennis app. Seven CEO Tim Worner argues that free-to-air TV still attracts the largest audiences for live sports coverage.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Spendless Shoes tops The Athlete’s Foot

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jan-18

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that Spendless Shoes has Australia’s most satisfied shoe store customers, with a customer satisfaction rating of 86.7% in November 2017. This is a significant increase of 3.5% from a year ago. The Athlete’s Foot is close behind with a customer satisfaction rating of 86.4%, up 3.8% on a year ago. Betts/Betts Kids also has a customer satisfaction rating of 86.4%, up 16.9% over the last 12 months. In fact, all five leading shoe stores in Australia increased their customer satisfaction over the last 12 months, including fourth-placed Mathers on 84.7% and previous Annual award winners Williams The Shoemen just behind on 84.4%. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says the closeness of the results in November, with all leading shoe stores scoring customer satisfaction ratings above 80%, shows the intensely competitive nature of the industry as retailers Australia-wide deal with the entry of US retail giant Amazon.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, SPENDLESS SHOES PTY LTD, THE ATHLETE’S FOOT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BETTS, BETTS KIDS, MATHERS SHOES PTY LTD, WILLIAMS THE SHOEMEN, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED

Rebel well placed to take on Decathlon

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jan-18

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that Rebel is again Australia’s leading sports store, with a customer satisfaction rating of 89.2% in November 2017. This is up 3.0% from a year ago, as competition hots up in Australia’s sporting goods market. Closest rival Sports Power also scored an impressive customer satisfaction rating of 86.5% in November, up 2.5% over the past year, while Sportsco had a satisfaction rating of 73.7%. French sports store giant Decathlon entered the Australian sporting goods market in 2016 with an online presence, and the Decathlon "warehouse" store opened pre-Christmas in suburban Sydney is the first of up to 100 stores Decathlon plans to open in Australia. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says Rebel’s performance in 2017 has been exceptional with the company taking out several monthly Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards during the year and heavily favoured to build on its successive victories in 2015 and 2016 in the annual Roy Morgan Annual Customer Satisfaction Awards in February.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, REBEL SPORT LIMITED, SPORTS POWER, SPORTSCO PTY LTD, DECATHLON

Nine to make a loss on Ashes despite record commercial interest

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Arvind Hickman
Ad News – Page: Online : 16-Jan-18

The 2017-18 Ashes Test series has been a ratings hit for the Nine Network, whose coverage of the five-match series attracted 14.8 million viewers nationwide, including 10.4 million in the capital cities. Nine also expects its revenue from advertising and corporate sponsorship packages to be 15-17 per cent higher than in 2016-17, and 7-8 per cent higher than its Ashes coverage in 2013-14. However, Nine sales director Sam Brennan concedes that the network will book a loss on its cricket coverage when production costs and the cost of its broadcasting rights are taken into account.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD

Life yet in department stores says Macy’s exec

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Patrick Hatch
The Age – Page: 20 : 16-Jan-18

Terry Lundgren, the executive chairman of US department store chain Macy’s, says Australian retailers should aim to compete with Amazon by offering unique products and a unique shopping experience. Lundgren is upbeat about the outlook for department stores, and says they can survive by adapting their business models to reflect changes in the sector. Macy’s has scaled back its store numbers in recent years and opened discount outlets in some of its stores. Myer Holdings has adopted the same strategies in Australia.

CORPORATES
RH MACY AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, BLOOMINGDALES, BLUEMERCURY, TJ MAXX, NATIONAL RETAILERS FEDERATION

Lithium prices to peak as local exports soar

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 16-Jan-18

Roskill MD Robert Baylis has warned of a looming oversupply of lithium as Australian producers ramp up output. Baylis notes that production of spodumene in particular is now much higher than global demand. Western Australia’s spodumene export volumes have risen by 84 per cent in recent years, with Tawana Resources, Altura Mining and Pilbara Minerals all set to open new mines in WA during the next six months. Baylis says it will take up to five years for global demand to catch up to supply.

CORPORATES
ROSKILL INFORMATION SERVICES, TAWANA RESOURCES NL – ASX TAW, ALTURA MINING LIMITED – ASX AJM, PILBARA MINERALS LIMITED – ASX PLS, MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN, GALAXY RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX GXY, NEOMETALS LIMITED – ASX NMT, GANFENG LITHIUM COMPANY LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, CRU, GLENCORE PLC

Long queue forming as Australian cricket rights go up for grabs

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 13-Jan-18

Cricket Australia expects all three free-to-air networks to bid for the Big Bash League broadcasting rights, with the Nine Network tipped to retain rights to Test and one-day international matches. Fox Sports could also bid for the cricket rights in partnership with a free-to-air network, while potential contenders for digital broadcasting rights are said to include Optus and YouTube. Cricket Australia is expected finalise a new rights deal by April.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, BIG BASH LEAGUE, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS