PAY TELEVISION – AUSTRALIA

4K AFL on Foxtel’s Netflix of sport

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Original article by David Swan
The Australian – Page: 19 : 21-Sep-18

Foxtel has advised that it will broadcast some Australian Football League matches in the 4K ultra-high-definition format during the 2019 season. Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany says one match per round is likely to be initially broadcast in the new format, with additional 4K coverage to be added as more of the high-definition cameras become available in Australia. Delany has also indicated that Foxtel will unveil details of a new sport-focused streaming video service in the next several months.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Anti-Sky activists hide behind Twitter

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 24 : 10-Sep-18

There are claims that online activist group Sleeping Giants is using fake Twitter accounts to promote an advertising boycott against Sky News. Sleeping Giants asserts Sky is providing opinionated broadcasting on urban train networks, but Sky is only contracted to supply brief news, weather and sports updates. Sleeping Giant began its campaign against Sky after the broadcasting of an interview with far-right activist Blair Cottrell. Cottrell has a presence on Facebook and Twitter, but Sleeping Giants has not sought to target them.

CORPORATES
SLEEPING GIANTS, SKY NEWS, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, TWITTER INCORPORATED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Foxtel increases prices as sports and technology investment rises

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 4-Sep-18

Pay television provider Foxtel has advised that its basic service will increase by 11.5 per cent to $A29 per month as from 1 October. The increase, which is the first in two years, is more than five times Australia’s inflation rate. Its sports package will remain at $29 per month, while Foxtel’s platinum packages will increase by $2 to $139 per month. Foxtel had 2.8 million subscribers as of 30 June, while rising programming costs and increased investment in new technology were cited as the reason for its subscription increase.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, CRICKET AUSTRALIA

‘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

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Pay TV service Fetch breaks through 700,000 subscribers

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 13-Aug-18

FetchTV boasted revenue in excess of $155m in 2017-18m, and the number of transactions on its platform grew by 50 per cent to 2.5 million. Fetch gained around 160,000 subscribers during the financial year, and its customer base now exceeds 700,000. CEO Scott Lorson says Fetch is on track to having one million customers, although it lags well behind Foxtel with 2.8 million subscribers. He notes that Fetch is benefiting from global trends such a growing range of content options and fast broadband with limitless data.

CORPORATES
FETCHTV PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, IINET LIMITED, IPRIMUS, DODO INTERNET PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD

Sky News ban exposed in train wreck interview

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Original article by Stephen Brook, Olivia Caisley
The Australian – Page: 2 : 10-Aug-18

The Victorian Government has banned Sky News broadcasts on Melbourne train station platforms in the wake of the channel’s controversial interview with right-wing extremist Blair Cottrell. Transport Minister Jacinta Allan sought to defend the ban during an interview on Sky News, but she was informed that the Cottrell interview had not been broadcast on the rail network. Sky News content has been broadcast at train stations since 2015, but it is limited to news stories, sports highlights and weather reports.

CORPORATES
SKY NEWS, VICTORIA. DEPT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, JOBS, TRANSPORT AND RESOURCES, APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY, KIMBERLY-CLARK AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SPECSAVERS OPTICAL GROUP LIMITED

Cottrell interview a mistake, says Sky

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 6 : 7-Aug-18

Blair Cottrell will not be seen on Sky News again, according to Angelos Frangopoulos. The CEO of Australian News Channel was responding to criticism of an interview between Cottrell, the former leader of the United Patriots Front, and Adam Giles on 5 August. Cottrell is known for his extremist views, once stating that all Australian classrooms should have a picture of Adolf Hitler on their wall. The criticism of Giles’ interview with Cottrell has prompted a management reshuffle at Sky News.

CORPORATES
SKY NEWS, AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD

Sky news junkie spreads his wings

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 25-Jul-18

News Corp Australia’s executive chairman Michael Miller has praised the contribution of Australian News Channel CEO Angelos Frangopoulos to the development of Sky News Australia. The pay-TV network’s ratings have risen in 2018, while it will shortly venture into the free-to-air market for the first time via alliances with the Nine Network and regional broadcaster WIN Corporation. Frangopoulos, who joined ANC in 1996, has been appointed CEO of Abu Dhabi-based Sky News Arabia.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD, SKY NEWS AUSTRALIA, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SKY NEWS ARABIA, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, 2SER, 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.

CORPORATES
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

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