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Foxtel targets cricket in streaming push

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 3-Jul-18

Foxtel is said to be aiming to launch its direct-to-consumer sports streaming video service in early November, to coincide with the start of its cricket coverage. The new service is tipped to have separate branding to distinguish it from other Foxtel products, and is part of the pay-TV group’s push to increase its market penetration. Foxtel’s broadcasting rights deal with Cricket Australia includes exclusive streaming rights.

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FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL NOW, FOXTEL GO, FOXTEL PLAY, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, HBO

Calls for Netflix to back local content

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 24 : 2-Jul-18

Screen Producers Australia has used its submission to the competitive neutrality inquiry into public broadcasting to push for local content quotas to be extended to streaming video providers. It noted that Netflix has a larger library of Australian content on its US platform than it offers to local subscribers. SPA has called for government intervention to ensure that local content producers are not disadvantaged, while it has also urged legislative action to protect content producers against unfair contracts with regard to broadcasting and streaming rights.

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SCREEN PRODUCERS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, CBS CORPORATION, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD

Feud for thought: Grant Denyer takes home gold at the Logies

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Original article by Michael Idato
The Age – Page: Online : 2-Jul-18

Family Feud host Grant Denyer has won the 2018 Gold Logie, despite the game show having been axed. Ray Meagher and Jessica Marais won the awards for the most popular actor and actress at the 60th annual TV Week Logie Awards, while "Wentworth" won the award for the most popular drama program. Meanwhile, subscription video-on-demand provider Stan won its first Logie, with "Romper Stomper" taking out the award for the most outstanding miniseries or telemovie. The Nine Network’s "60 Minutes" was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame.

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TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

Ten looks local to weather cricket loss

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 24 : 2-Jul-18

UBS forecasts that Australia’s free-to-air TV advertising market will record growth of 1.5 per cent in 2018-19. The firm says elections at federal and state level will boost the ad revenue of the Seven and Nine networks. Meanwhile, UBS figures show that the Ten Network’s share of ad revenue fell sharply during the first half of 2018. Ten intends to ramp up its local content after losing the Big Bash League broadcasting rights, with a number of new shows set to debut in the second half.

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UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, CBS CORPORATION, BIG BASH LEAGUE, CRICKET AUSTRALIA

Optus lets SBS simulcast rest of World Cup

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Original article by Jennifer Duke
The Age – Page: 5 : 29-Jun-18

Optus CEO Allen Lew says the telco is confident that it has resolved the technical issues that plagued its live streaming coverage during the first week of the FIFA World Cup. However, Optus has agreed to allow SBS to broadcast all remaining matches in the tournament, including ones that were initially to have been exclusive to Optus Sport. SBS MD Michael Ebeid notes that the public broadcaster’s World Cup coverage has attracted eight million viewers to date. Meanwhile, Tunisia has won 2-1 against Panama in the latest World Cup match.

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SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), WORLD CUP, FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Court tells Wilson to pay back $4.2m

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Original article by Michael Pelly
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 28-Jun-18

Victoria’s Court of Appeal has ordered Hollywood star Rebel Wilson to pay 80 per cent of the legal costs that Bauer Media incurred in its appeal against her landmark defamation payout. Wilson had initially been awarded a record $A4.7m, which Bauer paid in September 2017. This was subsequently reduced to just $A600,000 plus interest on appeal, and Wilson has been ordered to repay more than $A4.1m.

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BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, COURT OF APPEAL (VICTORIA)

Disney, Fox agree on $97bn merger

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Original article by Keach Hagey, Erich Schwartzel
The Australian – Page: 24 : 22-Jun-18

Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger has ruled out a deal with Comcast to carve up the entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox. Sources have indicated that Fox and Disney are finalising the terms of the latter’s $US71.3bn ($A96.8bn) cash and scrip deal, which has trumped Comcast’s $US65bn cash bid. Fox shareholders are expected to emerge with about 19 per cent of the enlarged Disney via the revised deal, compared with around 25 per cent under its previous scrip-only offer.

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21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, COMCAST CORPORATION, FOX NEWS, FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY, COWEN AND COMPANY, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, S&P GLOBAL RATINGS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, SKY PLC, STAR INDIA, HULU LLC

Fox agrees to Disney offer

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Original article by
The Australian – Page: 22 : 21-Jun-18

Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox has accepted Walt Disney Company’s revised offer of more than $US70bn for the bulk of its entertainment assets. Disney had originally proposed a scrip-only bid worth $US52.4bn, but it has agreed to allow Fox shareholders to accept a combination of cash and shares. The cash component will be attractive to major Fox shareholders such as the Murdochs, given the capital gains tax implications of a cash-only bid. Disney’s latest offer has trumped Comcast’s $US65bn cash bid.

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21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, COMCAST CORPORATION, SKY PLC, STAR INDIA, HULU LLC, FOX NEWS, FOX BROADCASTING COMPANY

Battered ABC chief throws counter-punches

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Original article by Stephen Brook, Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 5 : 20-Jun-18

ABC MD Michelle Guthrie has defended the public broadcaster in a Melbourne Press Club speech. She argued that the ABC contributes at least $A1bn to the broader economy each year, and it directly or indirectly supports about 6,500 jobs. Guthrie added that the ABC is still highly valued by the general public, and any move to privatise it would be opposed by both the public and the commercial media sector.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, MELBOURNE PRESS CLUB, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Customers win as Amazon, eBay face off

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Original article by Chris Griffith
The Australian – Page: 3 : 19-Jun-18

E-commerce giant Amazon has advised that Australians who join its premium subscription service will receive free delivery on many items in just two business days. Amazon Prime will be officially launched in Australia on 19 June, and it will compete with the recently launched eBay Plus service. Australians will be able to take out a free trial subscription to both services, while Amazon and eBay are also offering a discounted annual subscription package for a limited time.

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AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, EBAY AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND PTY LTD, EBAY INCORPORATED, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CHEMIST WAREHOUSE