Companies
CoStar eyes Domain as ACCC probes rival REA Group
CoStar CEO Andy Florance has told investors the ACCC’s investigation into REA Group could give Domain a timely boost as the US real estate giant pushes ahead with its $3 billion takeover.
According to Sam Buckingham-Jones in The Australian Financial Review, Florance expects to take control of Domain from Nine, positioning the platform as a more “reasonable” alternative to News Corp-owned realestate.com.au, which dominates the local market.
The ACCC’s probe into REA’s pricing practices is seen as a potential tailwind for the deal, adding momentum as CoStar looks to shake up Australia’s real estate listings game.
Agencies
Vodafone appoints Howatson+Company to lead brand reboot
Vodafone has tapped Howatson+Company as its new creative agency, part of a renewed push to grow market share and reclaim its challenger edge.
As Danielle Long reports in The Australian, the move comes under CMO Bec Darley, who’s driving a brand refresh following the telco’s regional network expansion.
With 5.5 million mobile customers and two million on broadband, Vodafone is sharpening its message as it eyes bigger players Telstra and Optus.
Streaming
Netflix parts ways with Harry and Meghan
Netflix won’t renew its deal with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, quietly ending the partnership when it expires in September.
As Clemmie Moodie writes in The Sun, the move follows soft performance from their recent projects and growing frustration over Meghan prioritising her lifestyle brand.
A second season of With Love, Meghan is still due later this year, but after that, it’s lights out.
Netflix starts production on new Aussie film from Bluey creator
Filming is underway in Queensland on Allen, a Netflix feature from Bluey creator Daley Pearson and Ludo Studio. Set in a coastal town, it’s a childhood adventure story co-directed by Pearson and Jeffrey Walker.
Backed by Screen Queensland, the film is being shot in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, with support from the state’s production incentives.
As Kevin Perry writes in TV Blackbox, no word yet on a release date, but with Netflix and Pearson involved, expectations are high.
Social Media
Meta steps up teen safety measures on Instagram and Facebook
Meta has added new tools to help teens block and report suspicious accounts more easily, along with clearer safety prompts in private messages.
The move follows the removal of hundreds of thousands of adult-run accounts targeting underage users with sexualised content.
As Barbara Ortutay writes in AAP, in a single month, teen users blocked over a million accounts and reported another million, highlighting the scale of the issue.
AI
Google builds AI to decode ancient Roman texts
Google DeepMind has launched Aeneas, an AI tool trained on nearly 200,000 Roman inscriptions to help historians fill in missing words, date texts, and find related fragments.
As Ian Sample details in The Guardian, the tool is already speeding up the work of researchers piecing together everything from imperial decrees to everyday graffiti.
“It’s not just history written by the victors,” said co-developer Dr Thea Sommerschield. “Aeneas helps us recover lost voices from the past.”