STREAMING VIDEO – AUSTRALIA

Disney Plus attracts over 2 million in first 4 months

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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

New data from Roy Morgan shows Disney Plus continuing its stellar growth, with over two million Australians now viewing the newest subscription television service after only four months. Netflix extended its lead as Australia’s most watched subscription television service in the March quarter with 12.59 million Australians having access, followed by followed by Foxtel (including Kayo Sports) on 4.87 million, and Stan with 3.72 million. Disney Plus is in fourth position, followed by Amazon Prime Video on 1.6 million and You Tube Premium on 1.47 million. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine notes the growth of subscription television services in Australia sped up in March as the nation entered a period of lockdown.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD

Foxtel to Binge on seismic change

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 19 : 18-May-20

Foxtel has yet to confirm speculation that its new entertainment-focused streaming service will be called Binge. Internally codenamed Project Ares, the new subscription video-on-demand service will debut on 25 May, featuring movies and full seasons of TV shows. It is expected to cost between $10 and $14 a month, while people who already use the Kayo Sports streaming service will be offered discounts and free trials. The new product is part of Foxtel’s shift in focus from traditional pay-TV to streaming services.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS

News Corp warns of hit to Foxtel, Kayo and real estate classifieds

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 15-Apr-20

News Corp expects to lose more Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscribers due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on live sports events. Foxtel’s broadcast and commercial subscriber base fell to 2.268 million in the December quarter, compared with 2.326 million in the September quarter, while its churn rate rose from 14.4 per cent to 16 per cent. Meanwhile, Kayo boasted 402,000 paid subscribers in early November, but this had fallen to around 370,000 by early February. News Corp also expects its property listings businesses in Australia and the US to be hit by the pandemic.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, MOVE INCORPORATED

AFL, NRL members can get discounted Kayo

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 20-Mar-20

Foxtel and its Kayo Sports streaming service are the only option for AFL and NRL fans who want to watch every match while the coronavirus-induced lockout of stadiums continues. A basic Kayo subscription usually costs $25 a month, but members of AFL and NRL clubs will be offered a discounted rate of $2.50 a month for two months. Kayo boasted 402,000 paid subscribers in early November, but this had fallen to around 370,000 by early February; this was expected to increase when the AFL and NRL seasons began.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Fears of low-ball offer for TV rights

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jamie Pandaram
The Australian – Page: 32 : 6-Mar-20

Rugby Australia will give prospective bidders an additional week to submit offers for its next broadcasting rights deal, after failing to attract any interest. Optus appears set to gain the broadcasting rights after RA’s current broadcast partner Fox Sports declined to sign a non-disclosure agreement. There is speculation that Optus will capitalise on the lack of rival bidders to offer a low price for the rights; RA rejected Fox Sports’ offer of $40m a year in late 2019. Ten Network is tipped to offer about $5m for limited free-to-air coverage of rugby matches.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, RUGBY AUSTRALIA, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

BBC makes streaming move into Australia

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 6-Mar-20

The BBC and UK commercial television network ITV will launch a streaming joint venture in Australia towards the end of 2020. Britbox will operate as a 50-50 joint venture between BBC Studios and ITV, and it is expected to feature programs such as ‘Poldark’, ‘Blackadder’ and ‘Call the Midwife’. Pricing information for Britbox in Australia has not yet been released, but it costs Stg5.99 a month in the UK and US6.99 a month in the US.

CORPORATES
BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ITV PLC, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Streaming lifts Foxtel’s sports subs to record

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 28-Feb-20

Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany has defended the pay-TV group’s Kayo Sports streaming service, after its subscriber base declined in the December quarter. He argues that four of the five major sports in Australia end their seasons in September, so Kayo can expect to have fewer subscribers in a period when cricket is the only major sport. The media group’s sports subscriber base has risen to a record level when measured across its traditional broadcast, Foxtel Now and Kayo services.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, FOXTEL NOW

Nine to give sport, movies the chop

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 27-Feb-20

Nine Entertainment Company has reported a 2019-20 interim net profit of $101.9m, which is 41 per cent lower than previously. The result was marred by write-downs totalling $75.2m. The Nine Network’s underlying earnings fell by 36 per cent to $103.5m and revenue was six per cent lower at $531.2m, while earnings from its digital and publishing assets rose by seven per cent to $46.7m. Nine CEO Hugh Marks has flagged cost cuts of $100m at the Nine Network over the next three years.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED

ACMA report shows Australians are embracing data-hungry tech

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Finbar O’Mallon
The New Daily – Page: Online : 27-Feb-20

The Australian Communications & Media Authority’s annual report has highlight consumers’ growing use of digital technologies. ACMA notes that almost nine in 10 Australians accessed the internet via mobile phone in 2018-19, although fixed internet lines accounted for the bulk of data downloads. Meanwhile, more than half of Australians use Netflix, while one in 10 Australian use at least four streaming video services. The figures also show that online advertising is now worth $8.8bn a year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, NETFLIX INCORPORATED

Free-to-air TV takes a $2bn tumble

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Maddison
The Australian – Page: 25 : 24-Feb-20

Australia’s three commercial free-to-air networks have written down the value of their broadcasting licences by $2.276bn since 2015. Amongst other things, the networks are facing growing competition from subscription video-on-demand services, which are not subject to the same regulation as traditional broadcasters and do not pay tax in Australia. Research by Roy Morgan in 2019 showed that nearly 14 million Australians had a paid subscription to a streaming service.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, ROY MORGAN LIMITED