PAY TELEVISION – AUSTRALIA

Australians’ AFL viewing fragments across Free TV, Pay TV and streaming via app on mobile devices

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Aug-15

Roy Morgan Single Source research in the 12 months to June 2015 shows that 2,321,000 Australians (14+) especially choose to watch Australian Football League (AFL) matches broadcast on Channel Seven, down from 2,628,000 in the 12 months to June 2013. The survey also found that 891,000 especially choose to watch Foxtel’s dedicated AFL channel Fox Footy, up from 841,000 in 2013, while 384,000 used Telstra’s AFL Live Official App in an average four weeks, up from 254,000 in 2013. Over the past two years, there has been a clear fragmentation of audiences across free TV, pay TV and live streaming: in 2013, over two-thirds of Fox Footy viewers (68 per cent) and AFL Live Official App users (67 per cent) also cited Channel Seven’s matches among those they especially choose to watch. Today, there is less overlap – meaning greater fragmentation: 59 per cent of Fox Footy viewers and 54 per cent of App users also choose to watch matches on Channel Seven. The overlap between Fox Footy and the AFL Live Official App has also declined, from 32 per cent of app users in 2013 to 24 per cent now.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Foxtel boost subscribers to 2.8 million, but at a cost

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 14-Aug-15

Foxtel has increased its revenue by one per cent in 2014-15. Its profit declined eight per cent. The number of subscribers increased nine per cent to 2.8 million which was the result of the price reduction of Foxtel’s basic package, from $A49 to $A25 a month in November 2014. Foxtel is under competitive pressure from video-on-demand service Netflix whose service costs between $A9 and $A15 a month.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, CITI AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Foxtel boost subscribers to 2.8 million, but at a cost

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 14-Aug-15

Foxtel has increased its revenue by one per cent in 2014-15. Its profit declined eight per cent. The number of subscribers increased nine per cent to 2.8 million which was the result of the price reduction of Foxtel’s basic package, from $A49 to $A25 a month in November 2014. Foxtel is under competitive pressure from video-on-demand service Netflix whose service costs between $A9 and $A15 a month.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, CITI AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Netflix threat to TV overhyped: Foxtel CEO

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Original article by Dominic White, Paul McIntyre
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 44 : 11-Aug-15

Foxtel has grown its subscriber base since slashing the cost of its basic package, confounding pundits who believed it would be undermined by the arrival of cheap streaming services such as Netflix. Though Netflix has attracted 1.6 million customers in less than six months, Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein says its threat to both cable and free-to-air television has been exaggerated.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEILSEN MEDIA RESEARCH, APPLE INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, CITI AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD

The Sharp threat to Foxtel

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Original article by Dominic White, Paul McIntyre
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10&8 : 10-Aug-15

Australians have responded enthusiastically to the offer of US streaming service Netflix. The service was launched locally six months ago. Citi estimates that Netflix has now 1.6 million subscribers in Australia. Pay TV operator Foxtel and free-to-air TV channels have a formidable competitor. Investors will no doubt watch with interest the contest between traditional TV broadcasters and streaming services.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, OZTAM PTY LTD, CITI AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Ten CEO exit clears way for Foxtel

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 28-Jul-15

Ten Network COO Paul Anderson will succeed Hamish McLennan as CEO. McLennan has also stepped down as executive chairman in favour of an independent replacement, David Gordon. The departure of McLennan as executive chairman could increase the chances of Ten’s equity deal with Foxtel being approved by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, as he has strong links with the Murdoch family. SMI data shows that Ten’s share of advertising revenue was 23.1 per cent in June 2015.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, MULTI CHANNEL NETWORK PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FREEHILLS PTY LTD, SMI MEDIA INCORPORATED

Murdochs on notice over Foxtel grab for Ten Network

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 29 : 27-Jul-15

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) will consider Foxtel’s equity alliance with the Ten Network in the context of the Murdoch family’s broader media holding, according to chairman Rod Sims. Foxtel proposes to acquire a 15 per cent stake in Ten, but the ACCC will take into account the fact that News Corp has a 50 per cent stake in Foxtel and News Corp executive Lachlan Murdoch has an 8.5 per cent stake in Ten. The effect on competition in bidding for sports broadcasting rights is likely to be a key consideration for the ACCC.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, ILLYRIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, MULTI CHANNEL NETWORK PTY LTD, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CONSOLIDATED MEDIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

Former ACCC head believes Ten, Foxtel deal likely to go ahead

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 17-Jun-15

The proposed equity deal between Ten Network and Foxtel will have to be approved by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. Former chairman Allan Fels says the growth of internet-based streaming video services should ensure that the deal is not blocked on competition grounds. John Kettle of law firm McCullough Robertson also expects the deal to be approved, and he says contractual arrangements between Ten and Foxtel are likely to attract the most scrutiny.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, McCULLOUGH ROBERTSON, STARCOM MEDIAVEST GROUP, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, ILLYRIA PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD

Murdoch tightens Ten grip

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 16-Jun-15

Pay-TV group Foxtel will acquire a stake of around 15 per cent in the Ten Network, paying $A0.15 per share, which equates to about $A77m. Ten shareholders will also be offered additional stock at $A0.15, with the free-to-air broadcaster raising $A154m in total via the share placement. Meanwhile, Ten will take a 24.99 per cent stake in Foxtel’s Multi Channel Network advertising sales company, which will in turn merge with Ten’s advertising department.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, MULTI CHANNEL NETWORK PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, SKY PLC, 20TH CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SMI MEDIA INCORPORATED

Battle for eyeballs to play out ‘within 12 months’

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 4-Jun-15

FetchTV CEO Scott Lorson estimates that up to five million Australian households could potentially take out a subscription to a streaming video service. He does not expect any of the rival groups to be able to operate at a loss for very long, and forecasts that they will succeed or fail within the next year. However, other media industry experts say the emerging sector is a long-term proposition.

CORPORATES
FETCHTV PTY LTD, QUICKFLIX LIMITED – ASX QFX, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED