MASS MEDIA – AUSTRALIA

Stan cuts Hollywood deals on prime content

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 6-Jun-18

Streaming video provider Stan has secured an exclusive content deal with the Starz pay-TV network, which is owned by Hollywood film studio Lionsgate. The deal gives Stan access to Lionsgate’s library of films and TV shows. Stan has also struck an output deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, while it will produce two new drama series in partnership with Sony Pictures Television and Disney-owned ABC.

CORPORATES
STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, STARZ ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LLC, LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER INCORPORATED, SONY PICTURES TELEVISION INCORPORATED, AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANY, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, PLAYMAKER MEDIA PTY LTD

New Telstra deal to help retiring types

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 30 : 5-Jun-18

Fifty current Australian Football League players will become Telstra Ambassadors under a new agreement with the telco. Telstra and the AFL will produce exclusive digital content based around the selected players, with the aim of encourage fans to engage with the AFL throughout the year. The deal will also benefit all AFL players via an increased contribution to their retirement scheme. Telstra, Seven Network and Fox Sports paid $A2.508bn in a six-year deal for AFL broadcasting rights in 2015.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS’ ASSOCIATION, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THE NIELSEN COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Nine, Sky plan free business channel

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 24 & 26 : 4-Jun-18

News Corp Australia and Nine Entertainment Company have declined to comment on reports that they are in talks to launch a free-to-air version of Sky News Business. They are believed to be negotiating a deal for Nine to acquire a 50 per cent stake in Sky News Business, which would replace one of Nine’s infomercial channels. The main Sky News channel recently secured an exclusive deal to provide content to WIN Corporation in regional areas.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SKY BUSINESS NEWS, SKY NEWS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SKY PLC, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Fifield attacks ABC on independence

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 24 : 4-Jun-18

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has made his sixth complaint to the ABC in just five months with regard to the public broadcaster’s news coverage. The latest complaint concerns the ABC’s reports on the selection of the date for five upcoming by-elections. Meanwhile, Fifield has stressed the need for the ABC to be impartial and independent, and argues that all media organisations in Australia should be open to feedback from politicians and the general public.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Ruling puts Australian courts on the front line of global online TV piracy war

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Original article by Andrew Colley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 29-May-18

Australian telcos have been ordered to block access to 16 internet addresses that allow consumers to access pirated versions of subscription TV channels. The Federal Court issued an injunction in late April requiring the telcos to block access to the servers, which are primarily based in the Netherlands. The injunction had been sought by Village Roadshow and six Hollywood studios, and followed a prior decision of the Federal Court to block access to a range of websites that feature pirated video content.

CORPORATES
FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, AUSTRALIAN SCREEN ASSOCIATION LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FETCHTV PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, TELEVISION BROADCASTS LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, CREATIVE CONTENT AUSTRALIA, BEIN SPORTS

Sky News goes free-to-air for regions

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 24 & 26 : 28-May-18

Pay-TV channel Sky News Australia has secured a content supply deal with regional broadcaster WIN Corporation. Sky News hopes to attract new subscribers to its full suite of channels via the deal, which is believed to includes a revenue-sharing arrangement. WIN will broadcast selected content from Sky News and Fox Sports News on a new 24-hour news channel to be called Sky News on WIN. Sky News has also held preliminary discussions with Seven West Media regarding a program supply deal, and Sky News Business has held talks with Nine Entertainment Company.

CORPORATES
SKY NEWS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, MULTI CHANNEL NETWORK PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SKY PLC

ABC to spend up big on digital ads

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 3 : 25-May-18

The ABC’s CFO Louise Higgins has revealed that the public broadcaster will allocate around $1.4m to advertising on Facebook during 2018, while its budget for Google’s AdWords will be about $A500,000. However, Higgins has rejected suggestions that the ABC is using taxpayers’ funds to compete with commercial TV networks. She also told a Senate estimates committee hearing that the ABC has an obligation to make consumers aware of the content it produces.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

It’s official: Most Australians now visit news or newspaper websites

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-May-18

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that nearly 15.7 million Australians aged 14+ (almost 78%) accessed news or newspaper websites in an average four weeks during the year to March 2018. News.com.au is visited by nearly 5.9 million Australians in an average four-week period, ahead of the Sydney Morning Herald (5.3 million visitors) and ABC News (just over five million visitors). Of Australia’s 20 leading news websites, nine are direct extensions of leading Australian newspaper mastheads, led by the SMH, The Daily Telegraph and The Age. A further seven of the leading websites are primarily Internet channels, led by news.com.au and Daily Mail.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Aunty coy about how budget affects news

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

The ABC’s CFO Louise Higgins has warned that the Federal Government’s looming funding freeze will force the public broadcaster to decide which services it continues to provide. The three-year funding freeze announced in the May 2018 Budgets takes effect in mid-2019, and Higgins says the ABC will negotiate with the government in the interim. Meanwhile, SBS CEO Michael Ebeid says there is no scope for further joint cost-saving initiatives by the public broadcasters.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS

Optus moves to secure Champions League

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 34 : 21-May-18

Optus is keen to acquire the Australian broadcasting rights to more overseas soccer competitions, after recently renewing its English Premier League deal. Optus CEO Allen Lew says Optus aims to be the local broadcaster of elite football, and he has signalled its interest in gaining the local rights to UEFA’s Champions League. Optus and Telstra are increasing their focus on content as a means of attracting and retaining customers, amid growing competition in the mobile telephone market.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, UNION EUROPEENNE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, WORLD CUP, BEIN SPORTS AUSTRALIA, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED