VIDEO-ON-DEMAND – AUSTRALIA

Doubts over Netflix’s local content pledge

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: 25 : 4-Apr-16

Australian subscription video-on-demand providers Stan and Presto have commissioned local programs, but US-based rival Netflix has yet to do so. Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos indicated in 2015 that the group will eventually begin producing content in Australia. However, Netflix has started to submit its original content for classification in Australia, and it has broadcast a range of Australian content in overseas markets.

CORPORATES
STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NINE PINES PTY LTD, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Netflix halo effect dulls Foxtel lustre

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Original article by Dominic White
The Age – Page: 23 : 28-Mar-16

A survey by Canstar Blue shows that Netflix has the highest rating in terms of overall customer satisfaction among Australian users of subscription-based TV services. Netflix received five out of five stars, while Foxtel received just three stars. It is estimated that Netflix has gained more than one million customers since launching in Australia in March 2015. A key challenge for Foxtel is the fact that even its entry-level package costs more than a Netflix subscription.

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CANSTAR BLUE PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, CBS CORPORATION, SHOWTIME, NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Kelly urges Nine-Fairfax mega-merger

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 7-Mar-16

Fairfax Media CEO Greg Hywood recently ruled out merging with Nine Entertainment Company if cross-media ownership laws are relaxed. However, Nine’s former CFO Simon Kelly believes that the media group should merge with both Fairfax and regional broadcaster Southern Cross Media. He argues that a three-way merger would create a multi-platform company with about 30 per cent of the advertising market and revenue of around $A4bn.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, MULTI CHANNEL NETWORK PTY LTD, OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED, TICKETEK

Amazon may use ex-Top Gear presenters’ show to launch SVOD here

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Original article by Dominic White, John McDuling
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 29-Feb-16

US-based Amazon has declined to comment on speculation that it plans to enter Australia’s subscription video-on-demand market. Industry sources have suggested that the group could launch the Amazon Prime Instant Video service in Australia later in 2016, to capitalise on the popularity of former "Top Gear" presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. They will soon host a new show for Amazon, which could opt to sell the local broadcasting rights to a rival SVOD provider.

CORPORATES
AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, AMAZON PRIME, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, THE BOOK DEPOSITORY LIMITED, DAI POST PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN CONSUMERS’ ASSOCIATION

Foxtel’s revenue jumps in first half

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 22 : 19-Feb-16

Pay-TV group Foxtel recorded 7.4 per cent growth in broadcast subscriber numbers during the first half of 2015-16, while its total subscriber base rose by 8.1 per cent. Foxtel’s EBIT for the half-year was 7.7 per cent lower at $A434m, although revenue rose by 5.5 per cent to $A1.66bn. The company’s subscriber churn rate fell from 11.4 per cent to 10.2 per cent.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, CBS CORPORATION, SHOWTIME

US giant to make Hayu as reality TV’s sun shines

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 3 : 12-Feb-16

US media group NBC Universal will launch its hayu subscription video-on-demand service in Australia, with subscribers to pay $A5.99 per month after a free one-month trial. Hayu will primarily specialise in reality-TV show such as "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "The Real Housewives", with each show to be available for viewing on the same day they are broadcast in the US.

CORPORATES
NBC UNIVERSAL INCORPORATED, HAYU, COMCAST CORPORATION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

WIN sues Nine over regional streaming

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 11-Feb-16

Nine Entertainment Company (NEC) recently began offering live streaming of its primary channel, which allows the media group to reach regional audiences. However, regional affiliate WIN Corporation is expected to ask the Supreme Court of New South Wales to grant an interim injunction to prevent NEC from streaming 9Now in regional areas. WIN is owned by Bruce Gordon, who also has a 14.95 per cent stake in NEC.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT

Optus prepares for Premier League debut

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 8-Feb-16

Australian telco Optus has yet to provide much detail of its packages for access to English Premier League matches, with its exclusive broadcasting contract to begin in August 2016. However, the telco is said to be planning to introduce a direct-to-consumer subscription-based streaming service for mobile devices and PCs. It is expected to be available to customers of rival telcos, although they will pay a higher price than Optus customers.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB, LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB PLC, ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB PLC, AL JAZEERA, BEIN SPORTS, UNION EUROPEENNE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, DFL DEUTSCHE FUSSBALL LIGA GMBH, FETCHTV PTY LTD, APPLE INCORPORATED, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

1 in 7 Australians now watch no Commercial TV, nearly half of all broadcasting reaches people 50+, and those with SVOD watch 30 minutes less a day

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Feb-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 14.9 per cent of Australians aged 14+ did not watch any commercial TV on a normal weekday in the year to December 2015, compared with 4.9 per cent in 2008. The survey also shows that 20.7 per cent of Australians aged 25-34 watched no commercial TV in 2015, up from 7.6 per cent in 2008. Likewise, the number of 14-24 year-olds who do not watch any commercial TV has risen from seven per cent to 18.8 per cent since 2008, although Australians in the 35-49 and 50+ age groups have been slower to abandon commercial TV. Meanwhile, Australians aged 14-24 or 25-34 with Subscription Video On Demand now watch 13 minutes less TV on average per day than their counterparts without it, and the difference is even starker among older groups.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, QUICKFLIX LIMITED – ASX QFX, FOXTEL PLAY

Seven aces digital Open coverage

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 1-Feb-16

Seven West Media’s live streaming of its tennis coverage was viewed about 4.4 million times during the summer of 2014-15. It is estimated that this will exceed eight million views in the 2015-16 summer, including users of the 7tennis app and the Plus7 live TV stream. Seven’s chief digital officer Clive Dickens notes that just one sponsor of Seven’s TV coverage chose not to take up a sponsorship package for its digital coverage. He adds that the success of the tennis coverage bodes well for Seven’s broadcast of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS