Uncategorized

Foxtel, Telstra extend AFL rights deal

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 24-Dec-20

Foxtel has secured a deal with the Australian Football League to extend its existing broadcasting rights deal by two years. Telstra has also extended its rights deal to include the 2023 and 2024 seasons, while the Seven Network struck a similar deal earlier in 2020. The three companies will pay a combined $946m for broadcasting and streaming rights for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Telstra will also become the official technology partner of Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, which is owned by the AFL.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD,TELSTRA COMMUNICATIONS PVT LTD,AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE,SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED,SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Survival of the fittest: Media’s toughest year in decades

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Zoe Samios
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 21-Dec-20

Few would disagree that 2020 has been the toughest year for the Australian media sector for decades. The year began with the remnants of the summer bushfires, before the sector was hit by the impact of COVID-19. The virus saw media companies lose huge amounts of revenue, while forcing big changes to the way that production houses and newsrooms operated. The year has been one of mergers and restructures, of shutting down newspaper and magazine titles, and of executive and talent changes. Competition increased within the streaming sector, media outlets continued their stoush with Google and Facebook, while relations between ABC chair Ita Buttrose and the federal government became increasingly strained over the course of the year.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL

Cricket Australia discussed shifting broadcast rights to Nine

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Zoe Samios
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 21-Dec-20

Sources have indicated that the bitter legal dispute with Seven West Media prompted Cricket Australia to hold informal talks with Nine Entertainment about taking over the broadcasting rights. The informal talks are believed to have ended when Cricket Australia recently received a $12.5m instalment payment from Seven. The media group pays about $70m a year for the free-to-air rights, as part of a six-year deal with Cricket Australia and pay-TV group Foxtel. Amongst other things, Seven is seeking a discount of about 20 per cent due to coronavirus-induced changes to the cricket schedule for the 2020-21 summer.

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

March court start for Seven’s cricket battle

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 15 : 16-Dec-20

The legal dispute between Seven West Media and Cricket Australia will be heard by the Federal Court in mid- March. Seven may seek damages or an order to terminate its broadcasting rights deal if the court rules in its favour. The case centres on CA’s changes to its itinerary for the 2020-21 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Seven contends that it was commercially disadvantaged by CA’s decision to start the season with three one-day international matches against India, which were broadcast exclusively by Fox Sports.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Fletcher rules out sacking Buttrose over ABC investigation

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 14-Dec-20

The ABC continues to attract scrutiny in the wake of a controversial ‘Four Corners’ report on the personal lives of two federal government ministers. However, Communications Minister Paul Fletcher has refuted suggestions that the government could sack ABC chair Ita Buttrose, stating that he has confidence in the way she is handling a "challenging and very important job". Fletcher has also defended his decision to send a letter to the ABC board in late November querying the decision to broadcast the news story in question.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

Seven aims to make cricket pay

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ben Horne, Peter Lalor
The Australian – Page: 24 & 22 : 2-Dec-20

The Seven Network alleges that it has suffered significant commercial damage due to Cricket Australia’s changes to its match schedule for the 2020-21 summer. Australia was originally slated to play three Tests against India before Christmas, but CA has delayed two of these matches until the new year, while the revised schedule saw the cricket season begin with a six-match One-Day International series that is exclusive to Fox Sports. CA has cited the coronavirus pandemic as the key reason for changes to the schedule, but Seven contends that the Board of Control for Cricket in India exerted pressure to make the changes.

CORPORATES
SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, BOARD OF CONTROL FOR CRICKET IN INDIA

Lynas refuses to risk staff in virus hot spot

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 27-Nov-20

The US military is providing funding for a rare earths processing plant to be built in Texas under a partnership between Australian-listed rare earths producer Lynas Corporation and US-based Blue Line. The Pentagon wants the plant to be built to end to China’s dominance of "commercial-scale" separation of heavy rare earths materials. However, Lynas MD Amanda Lacaze has told its AGM that the plant could be delayed as it will not built without the involvement of its engineers, and she will not send anyone to Texas while COVID-19 cases in the state are so high. It is estimated that the plant will cost around $US50 million ($68 million).

CORPORATES
LYNAS CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX LYC, BLUE LINE

Quotas plan for survival of broadcasters

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Richard Ferguson, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 8 : 27-Nov-20

The federal government will release a green paper on media industry reform on 27 November. Amongst other things, the reforms would introduce local content quotas for subscription video-on-demand providers, as well as the ABC and SBS. TV networks would also be offered a new broadcasting licence that has less regulation, in return for surrendering some of their frequency spectrum. This spectrum would then be auctioned, with the proceeds used for two new funds that will help to finance locally-produced news and drama content.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

Open delay a serious blow to Nine’s plans for the year

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Madden, Emily Ritchie
The Australian – Page: 19 : 23-Nov-20

The prospect of the Australian Open being delayed due to coronavirus restrictions could prove costly for Nine Entertainment. The grand slam tournament is traditionally a key vehicle for the host broadcaster to promote its program line-up for the new year. Audience numbers are also likely to be affected if the Open is shifted from mid-January to late February or March, when the official ratings year will have begun. Media analyst Martin Hickson of 1851 Capital says Nine should seek to renegotiate its broadcasting rights deal with Tennis Australia. Some top tennis players have warned that the Open will have to be cancelled if training is prohibited during the mandatory quarantine period.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, 1851 CAPITAL PTY LTD, TENNIS AUSTRALIA

Rudd and Turnbull will be called to give evidence at Senate inquiry into media diversity

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 12-Nov-20

The Senate’s environment and communications references committee will undertake an inquiry into media diversity after the federal government did not oppose the motion. The committee will begin accepting submissions immediately and will report by the end of November 2021. Former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull are amongst those who will be asked to appear before the inquiry. Rudd organised a petition calling for a royal commission into the market dominance of News Corp.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD