NEW PRODUCTS – AUSTRALIA

Netflix rival Max rolls out in Australia with bold profit prediction

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 & 19 : 1-Apr-25

Warner Bros Discovery’s Max streaming service debuted in an already crowded Australian market on Monday. Warner Bros Discovery executive Jean-Briac Perrette is upbeat about the outlook for the sector, contending that streaming will be a "fantastic business". Perrette expects Max to be profitable in Australia within three years, and he has not ruled out acquisitions in the local market. Much of the HBO content that was previously available on Foxtel’s Binge streaming platform will now exclusively on Max.

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WARNER BROS DISCOVERY INCORPORATED, MAX, HBO, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BINGE

ViacomCBS launches Paramount+

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Original article by Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 9-Aug-21

The new Paramount+ subscription video-on-demand service will offer a range of exclusive international content and new locally-produced drama when it debuts in Australia on 11 August. ViacomCBS has also invested some $300m on sports broadcasting rights, with soccer competitions such as the A-League and W-League to be shown on both Paramount+ and the Ten Network. Unlike rival streaming services such as Stan and Binge, Paramount+ will have direct access to the output of US film and television studios.

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VIACOMCBS INCORPORATED, PARAMOUNT+, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, THE W LEAGUE PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, BINGE

Kogan launches Visa card and $300 credit offer

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 3-Oct-19

Online retailer Kogan.com has partnered with Citigroup to launch a Visa-branded credit card. The Kogan Money card has no annual fee and a 55-day interest-free period, while cardholders will receive free membership of the Kogan First customer loyalty scheme. Kogan announced the alliance with Citigroup in November 2018, and flagged plans to launch a credit card during 2019. Kogan has previously diversified into products such as superannuation, home loans and mobile phones.

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KOGAN.COM LIMITED – ASX KGN, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, VISA INTERNATIONAL, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Disney+ to launch in Australia

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 20-Aug-19

US media giant Walt Disney Company has confirmed the Australian launch date and pricing for its video streaming service. Disney+ will cost $8.99 per month or $89.99 a year when it is launched in Australia on 19 November. Australia and New Zealand will be among the first markets in the world to gain access to Disney+, which will be launched in the US, Canada and the Netherlands on 12 November. Disney+ will include content from the Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars franchises.

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WALT DISNEY COMPANY, DISNEY+, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, HULU LLC

Qantas goes after slice of frequent buyers’ credit card spending

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Original article by Patrick Hatch
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 13-Feb-19

Qantas has launched a new Titanium credit card that will be offered solely to customers whose annual income exceeds $200,000. Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Worth notes that the airline’s top 1000 loyalty scheme members generate most of their frequent flyer points from expenditure on goods and services rather than flights. Qantas’s customer loyalty partners include Woolworths, AustralianSuper and Red Energy.

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QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, QANTAS FREQUENT FLYER LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIQUOR, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, RED ENERGY PTY LTD

‘TV like never before’: Foxtel launches 4K

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Original article by Chris Griffith
The Australian – Page: 21 : 15-Aug-18

Pay-TV company Foxtel has launched its new iQ4 set-top box, which will support the 4K ultra-high-definition technology. As part of the launch, Foxtel has announced that it will offer a new channel that will exclusively broadcast content in 4K resolution. This includes Foxtel’s upcoming coverage of the Test cricket series between Australia and South Africa. The channel will also feature other sports, as well as movies, music and documentaries. However, the 4K channel will be broadcast solely via satellite

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FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

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

Foxtel pulls new service out of box

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 20 : 9-Nov-17

Pay-TV group Foxtel has officially launched its new streaming "puck" device. The Foxtel Now puck will be available to purchase from 10 November and provides streaming access to Foxtel’s pay-TV service as well as free-to-air channels. Users can also install apps to access rival streaming services such as Stan. Foxtel CEO Peter Tonagh says the Foxtel Now puck is aimed at younger customers than its traditional cable and satellite TV service.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOXTEL NOW, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Telstra TV reboots streaming push

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Original article by Supratim Adhikari, Chris Griffith
The Australian – Page: 20 : 24-Oct-17

The new version of Telstra’s streaming video device provides access to free-to-air networks and their "catch-up" services, as well as subscription video-on-demand providers such as Netflix and Foxtel Now. Jo Pollard, Telstra’s head of media, says the Telstra TV2 device uses high efficiency video coding, so broadband speed limitations should not be an issue for users. Pollard adds that the proposal to merge Foxtel with Fox Sports will be a "net positive" for the telco, which will hold a 35 per cent stake in the merged entity.

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TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL NOW, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, HAYU, BIGPOND MOVIES, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Shoes Of Prey chasing the ‘athleisure’ dollar

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Original article by Michael Bailey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 20 : 19-Sep-17

Customised shoe maker Shoes of Prey is expanding into sneakers, the first unisex product it has offered since it was launched in 2009. Shoes of Prey is now solely an online retailer, having closed two outlets within David Jones and Nordstrom in October 2016. Founder Jodie Fox notes that this decision has helped to reduce its "cash burn", although she is unable to say when Shoes of Prey will become cash-flow positive.

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SHOES OF PREY PTY LTD, DAVID JONES LIMITED, NORDSTROM INCORPORATED, BLUE SKY PRIVATE EQUITY LIMITED, KHOSLA VENTURES, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, ADIDAS-SALOMON AG, PE NATION