Seven serving up streaming

Original article by Max Mason
The Age – Page: 25 : 14-Dec-15

Seven West Media’s tennis coverage during January 2015 was streamed 4.4 million times, with the bulk of viewers using tablets or mobile phones. The media group will stream more than 2,100 hours of tennis during January 2016, and will use its experience of the previous year to improve its coverage. Seven’s new and existing tennis sponsors have bought packages for both its traditional TV broadcasts and online coverage.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, HOPMAN CUP PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WILLIAM HILL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BLACKMORES LIMITED – ASX BKL, INDUSTRY SUPERANNUATION FUND, KIA MOTORS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, THE EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP

Field of streams: the sports broadcasts that could win over Australian Netflix and YouTube audiences

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Dec-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 80 per cent of Australians aged 14+ watch sport on television. The survey, which was carried out in the six months to September 2015, also shows that 77 per cent of Australians who have a Netflix subscription almost always or occasionally watch at least one sport on TV, as do 79 per cent of those who visit YouTube. Meanwhile, Netflix subscribers are 25 per cent more likely than the average Australian to watch Super Rugby, and 18 per cent more likely to watch FIFA World Cup soccer. Visitors to YouTube have an above-average interest in soccer, being around 20 per cent more likely than average to watch the English Premier League, FIFA World Cup or A-League.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, SUPER RUGBY, FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Media reform debate could go to the wire

Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 23-Nov-15

The Australian Government’s proposed changes to cross-media ownership laws may still be discussed by cabinet before parliament rises for the year, although other issues are likely to take priority in the coming week. Meanwhile, pay-TV group Foxtel has proposed removing sports events such as the FA Cup and the US Masters Golf from the anti-siphoning list. Australian Subscription Television & Radio Association chairman Tony Shepherd has also advocated changes to the list.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND RADIO ASSOCIATION (ASTRA) INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

NRL clubs threaten breakaway over TV

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 5 : 19-Nov-15

The National Rugby League (NRL) faces a potential split over the issue of pay-TV broadcasting rights, with some teams warning that they could withdraw from the league if a deal is not finalised. The NRL had been negotiating a new deal with Fox Sports and Telstra, but it is believed to have canvassed interest from Singtel Optus, which recently secured exclusive Australian rights to English Premier League matches.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN RUGBY LEAGUE COMMISSION LIMITED, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Nine and News try to break impasse

Original article by Darren Davidson, Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 26 : 16-Nov-15

A compromise between Nine Entertainment Company and News Corporation regarding National Rugby League (NRL) coverage is expected to take some time. The two media groups have proposed that Nine and News Corp-owned Fox Sports each broadcast one NRL match on Friday nights, while Nine would relinquish the Saturday night match, which is currently broadcast by Fox Sports. Nine recently secured NRL broadcasting rights from 2018.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Nine may save by ceding Saturday night NRL

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 12-Nov-15

Fox Sports owner News Corp is continuing to hold talks with the National Rugby League regarding pay-TV broadcasting rights. The media group has indicated that it is willing to pay $A30m a year to broadcast the Saturday night NRL match, which Nine Entertainment Company acquired as part of a $A925m five-year free-to-air and streaming rights deal earlier in 2015. Nine is said to be seeking to have the cost of its deal reduced by about $A40m a year in return for relinquishing the Saturday night fixture.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN RUGBY FOOTBALL LEAGUE, OZTAM PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

NRL looks to seal deal for two Friday games

Original article by Jake Mitchell, Brent Read
The Australian – Page: 3 : 11-Nov-15

The National Rugby League may finalise a deal for pay-TV rights in the next several weeks. Negotiations with Fox Sports are believed to involve regaining the rights to a Saturday night match, which the Nine Network secured in its recent $A925m deal with the NRL. Fox Sports would also gain the rights to a Friday night match, while Nine would broadcast a second match on Friday. Any deal is said to be condition on Fox Sports regaining the popular Saturday night match.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Fairytale Cup viewing figures open era of streaming success

Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 5 : 5-Nov-15

The 2015 Melbourne Cup attracted an average TV audience of 2.931 million nationally. An average of 2.068 million people watched the race in Australia’s capital cities, compared with 2.178 million in 2014. However, the Seven Network’s live stream attracted an additional 342,000 views. The post-race presentation boasted an average metropolitan audience of 1.788 million.

CORPORATES
THE EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SKY RACING, OZTAM PTY LTD

EPL rights loss to Optus a blow to Foxtel, Macquarie says

Original article by Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 4-Nov-15

Andrew Levy of Macquarie Group says Singtel Optus’s deal to acquire the English Premier League rights is a "clear negative" for incumbent broadcaster Foxtel. Levy notes that English soccer is popular with Foxtel subscribers, and the pay-TV group has benefited from the Premier League’s exclusion from the anti-siphoning list. Fox Sports also recently lost the right to broadcast the popular Saturday and Monday night National Rugby League matches.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FETCHTV PTY LTD

Nine ready to deal with News on NRL

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 : 22-Oct-15

Nine Entertainment Company recently secured a $A925m deal to broadcast National Rugby League matches from 2018. It includes the Super Saturday match that is currently broadcast exclusively by News Corp Australia-owned Fox Sports. News Corp paid $A530m for the NRL’s pay-TV rights under its current deal, but it is believed to be unwilling to pay as much for the next rights deal unless the Saturday match is included. Nine is said to be willing to negotiate on relinquishing the match.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD