MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Magazines matter to a clear majority of Australians: over 14.6 million read magazines in print or online

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Original article by Roy Morgan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 26-Nov-25

The Roy Morgan Australian Readership report for the 12 months to September 2025 shows that 10.9 million Australians aged 14+ (47.4%) now read print magazines. This market broadens significantly to over 14.6 million Australians aged 14+ who read magazines in print or online either via the web or an app. Overall, a total of seven of the top 25 most widely read magazines increased their readership over the last year. Food & Entertainment is again Australia’s best performing magazine category, with a readership of 6,612,000 (well over 2.5 million ahead of any other category, and reaching 28.7% of the population). Meanwhile, Better Homes and Gardens is still Australia’s most widely read paid magazine, with a print readership of 1,658,000; the second-placed The Australian Women’s Weekly has a print readership of 1,180,000. These are the latest findings from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey of 65,956 Australians aged 14+ in the 12 months to September 2025.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Squeeze is on for Nine executive to get more juice out of the fruit

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 19-Nov-25

Nine Entertainment’s streaming and broadcast division generated 78 per cent of the group’s revenue and two-thirds of EBITA in 2024-25, when Domain is excluded from the results; free-to-air TV accounted for the bulk of the division’s revenue. Nine’s managing director of streaming and broadcast, Amanda Laing, faces the challenge of cutting costs while managing both the decline of free-to-air TV and the growth of free and subscription-based streaming video. She recently retrenched 50 employees within the division, and has not ruled out further job cuts; however, she has emphasised the need to transform the division, rather than simply reducing costs.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Network Ten eyes NRL bid even as losses balloon

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 12-Nov-25

The Ten Network’s latest corporate filings show that it posted a loss of $162m in 2024, which followed a loss of $322m for the previous year. The disappointing financial results have been attributed to factors such as low ratings and weak advertising revenue. Ten Network’s president Beverley McGarvey says it will consider bidding for the National Rugby League’s next broadcasting rights deal, noting that new US parent company Paramount Skydance is heavily investing in sports content. Media analyst Steve Allen says Ten needs the rights to some tier-one sports, noting that they remain popular with viewers despite the growing shift to streaming platforms.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, PARAMOUNT SKYDANCE CORPORATION, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

No third parties emerge to foil Southern Cross-Seven takeover

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 5-Nov-25

An independent report from risk advisory firm Kroll has concluded that the proposed merger with Seven West Media is in the best interests of Southern Cross Media Group’s shareholders. Kroll found that it is a good deal for the radio station group’s investors, given that the company will contribute 47.3 per cent of the "relative underlying value" and have a 50.1 per cent stake in the merged entity. Southern Cross chairman Heith Mackay-Cruise has defended the proposed merger, noting that the traditional media landscape is facing a number of challenges. He has also confirmed that Southern Cross has not been approached by any other potential suitors.

CORPORATES
SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, KROLL

Media merger to counter big tech

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 1-Oct-25

The proposed merger between Seven West Media and Southern Cross Media Group is forecast to generate annual pre-tax cost synergies of up to $30m. The merger will combine Seven’s linear TV and digital broadcast platforms with Southern Cross’s radio stations; Seven also owns print and digital newspapers. Seven West’s shareholders are expected to vote on the deal later this year or in early 2026; if approved, Southern Cross will emerge with a 50.1 per cent stake in the combined entity. Seven’s CEO Jeff Howard will take on the role in the merged group, while Seven chairman Kerry Stokes will step down in favour of Southern Cross counterpart Heith Mackay-Cruise. Southern Cross CEO John Kelly has indicated that he has also held merger talks with Nine Entertainment in recent months.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL

HBO Max scores over 850,000 viewers in first quarter streaming content

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Sep-25

New data from Roy Morgan shows that streaming video service HBO Max, which launched in Australia on 31 March, has captured an impressive audience of 851,000 Australians aged 14+ in its first full quarter online (April-June 2025). A look at the broader market for subscription video on demand shows that 17.6 million Australians (76.9%) watched a streaming video service in an average four weeks in the 12 months to June 2025, up 452,000 (+3%) from a year ago. The leading streaming video service is again Netflix with 14,339,000 viewers (63% of Australians) in an average four weeks – more than double any other streaming video service. The contest for second place is tight between Disney Plus with 6,474,000 viewers (28%), just ahead of Amazon Prime Video with 6,464,000 viewers (28%) and Stan on 5,097,000 (22%). In fifth place is DAZN’s streaming video service Binge with 2,754,000 viewers (12%).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, HBO MAX, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, DISNEY+, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, DAZN, BINGE

Google inks first commercial AI news deal in Australia

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 20-Aug-25

Newswire service Australian Associated Press has secured a content deal with Google regarding the latter’s generative artificial intelligence platform. AAP’s news articles will be made available to the Gemini AI app. Nic Hopkins from Google says the deal with AAP will deliver a feed of real-time information to enhance responses in the Gemini app and will assist Australians when they look for locally relevant and up-to-date information. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Magazines matter to clear majority (64%) of Australians: over 14.7 million read magazines in print or online

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 20-Aug-25

The Roy Morgan Australian Readership report for the 12 months to June 2025 shows that 11 million Australians aged 14+ (48.2%) now read print magazines. This market broadens significantly to more than 14.7 million Australians aged 14+ (64.2%) who read magazines in print or online either via the web or an app. Overall, nine of the top 25 most widely read magazines have increased their readership over the last year. The most widely read magazine category is still Food & Entertainment, with a readership of 6,925,000 (well over 2,5 million ahead of any other category, and reaching 30.2% of the population). Meanwhile, Better Homes and Gardens is still Australia’s most widely read paid magazine, with a print readership of 1,696,000; the second-placed The Australian Women’s Weekly has a print readership of 1,206,000. Australia’s two most widely read free magazines are still Coles Magazine (with a print readership of 4,995,000) and Woolworths’ Fresh Ideas (4,477,000). These are the latest findings from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey of 67,653 Australians aged 14+ in the 12 months to June.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Seven’s profit slumps but digital offers hope

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 17 : 13-Aug-25

Seven West Media has reported a 2024-25 statutory profit of just $17m, which is 63 per cent lower than previously. Revenue was five per cent lower at $1.4bn and underlyimg earnings were down 15 per cent to $159m, although CEO Jeff Howard notes that underlying earnings rose by six per cent in the second half. Meanwhile, the group’s 7plus digital platform recorded 26 per cent growth in revenue during 2024-25. Howard says 7plus is close to offsetting the revenue decline in Seven’s traditional broadcast TV business; he adds that although viewers will continue to switch to streaming, Seven remains committed to broadcast TV.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Nine’s publishing to out-earn TV

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 17 : 6-Aug-25

Jarden analyst Tom Beadle recently said that the value contained within Nine Entertainment’s publishing business could potentially be the most underappreciated part of the media group. The investment bank has valued Nine’s publishing assets at $885m, ahead of streaming video platform Stan ($655m) and the broadcast division ($601m); Jarden estimates that Nine’s radio stations are worth about $25m. Looking forward, Nine’s publishing assets are forecast to generate EBITDA of $156m by 2028; this compares with expectations of $153m for the group’s television network, which is facing higher costs.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE RADIO PTY LTD, JARDEN AND COMPANY