The Foxtel-owned sports app Kayo has been rebuilt from the ground up in a radical overhaul that improves the experience for mobile users. The app has been rebuilt by a team of hardcore sports fans, using best-practice engineering standards set by some of the world’s leading app experiences.

Starting this week, a small number of users will find the Kayo app installed on their mobile devices will update to the new version of the app. From a look and feel perspective, it looks more slick with some changes in terms of functionality. Existing users will still recognise that it is the Kayo app at first glance with a “the same, but different and better” approach to the redesign.

The Kayo team will be testing and improving the app based on the immediate feedback from early public beta users and will be rolling out the app to include all users over the next month.

The new Kayo Sports app

It would be incorrect to say that the new Kayo reflects a mobile-first strategy. That’s not quite what the redesign is about, but it does recognise that online sports viewing behaviour is shifting and the app is evolving with this behaviour. The team recognise that viewership through connected televisions is still the main way that most Kayo viewers are watching sports on the app and that isn’t expected to change anytime soon, but with mobile consumption on the rise, Kayo needed to better serve those handheld viewers.

The first thing users will notice is that the new Kayo Sports app has a lot of functionality that is inspired by social video apps like Instagram and TikTok. At the top of the page, you can see an interface that may as well be Instagram Stories, but for sports. Click on one of those ‘stories’, which are segmented by sport, and it will take you through to a really compelling feature – what Kayo is calling Moments. You can also access Moments from the menu navigation at the bottom of the app, which will give you a Tik-Tok-like vertical feed of videos from across a broad range of sports.

These Moments are produced during sporting games/matches, offering clips of outstanding moments available for viewers in close to real-time during the broadcast. The clips are mobile-friendly clips of up-to 30 seconds in length. Kayo users watching a Moment can also click a Watch Now button to take them into the broadcast.

Moments are identified using AI systems, speeding up the process to make them quickly available to users of the app. The AI is trained to look for great moments aligned with points being scored or other identified metrics, along with car crashes and other expected exciting events on screen. If there’s anything out of the ordinary that the Kayo team are thrilled by and want to share in the Moments tab, they can then be added to the feed. It’s AI with a sprinkle of human.

Coming soon to the app will be greater social sharing, enabling users to share clips with their mates. If your friend doesn’t have a Kayo Sports subscription, they will still be able to watch the clip. It’ll serve as not only a great way to share clips with friends, but also as an onboarding tool for Kayo.

As Foxtel go to market with the refreshed Kayo Sports app, it is focused on:

Introducing the Moments Player – A fresh way to catch up on the action. The new Moments Player offers a scrollable feed of highlights, making it easy to relive key plays and stay updated at your own pace.
Stories That Bring You Closer to the Game – Stay in the loop with dynamic, bite-sized stories capturing the energy and excitement of live sports. Perfect for quick updates between plays or on the go.
A New Home for Live Action – The reimagined homepage places fans at the centre of the excitement. With hero banners and intuitive call-to-action buttons, it’s never been easier to jump into the action and stay there.
Enhanced Favourites – Fans preferred content now takes centre stage. The app will prompt users to add favourites to improve their personalised recommendations.
Smarter Navigation, Seamless Streaming – Find exactly what you’re looking for with enhanced search capabilities and streamlined page layouts. Less time searching, more time watching.

Changing sports consumption

As viewers have become increasingly more mobile in their media consumption and less reliant on legacy, linear broadcast, new viewing behaviours are being adopted. Younger viewers are less live sports-obsessed than older viewers and will focus more on individual sports stars than teams. And while they are watching live sports less, they are devoting time to fantasy sports, sporting podcasts, social media, and short-form video platforms.

These behaviours are clearly front-of-mind with the new Kayo Sports mobile redesign. You can see it with all of the areas the app now focuses on. It is less about live and more about engaging with the other experiential aspects of sport with an emphasis on the clips.

The app isn’t abandoning live at all – far from it. The redesign makes it easier than ever to find out when events are being staged and to sort it based on your interests. The revamped Fixtures functionality and high visibility of live and upcoming events speak to the live access Kayo offers.

A focus on younger, sports-connected viewers may also prove more profitable for Kayo Sports. Research from Ampere Analytics has found younger viewers spend more money on live sports. Across the US and five major European markets, Ampere found that the average sports fan is willing to pay $28.42 per month for all-you-can-eat sports access, but for 18-34 fans, this figure rises 27 per cent to $36.05. For those who engage with ancillary sports content (ie the podcasts, clips, fantasy sports, etc), those aged 18-34 fantasy are willing to spend an average of $43.99 per month.

Inside the rebuild

Leading the project to rebuild Kayo is the Emmy Award-winning Tom Blaxland. He is the Executive Director of Product and joined Foxtel Group in August last year. In his role he oversees Foxtel’s streaming products, including Kayo Sports and Binge.

Blaxland joined Foxtel after working with NBCUniversal on its Peacock app and the NBCU/Paramount joint venture SkyShowtime, which operates in 22 countries across Europe.

Blaxland grew up in Australia and started out his career in the 90s as a music engineer and producer for bands like Custard, Died Pretty, and Things of Stone and Wood. Discovering Pro Tools in the early 90s led him to web design and then to learn coding for sites and apps.

After an extensive career in the US, he moved back to Australia for love. He wasn’t following a lover – it was his passion for Kayo that brought him back.

Our conversation began by addressing a whispered-about rumour surrounding the use of Kayo technology in an abandoned 2024/25 joint venture between Fox, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery. It’s an interesting starting point because it highlights just how unique a product Kayo is.

Mediaweek: You began developing the new version of the app under the previous ownership. It has been said that there was a moment in the US when Fox was building out the Venu Sports app that they were looking to use the Kayo app as its foundation. This rebuild… was there any consideration of this being involved with that Venu launch?

Tom Blaxland: If you look at what Kayo is, it is a unique sports app in the world. There’s no other app that really has the breadth and depth of sport that Kayo does. If you go around the world looking at other apps, you’ll see content rights are split across a lot of different companies, and so it’s rare to have the concentration of sports in one app.

I think that is why it is so successful in Australia. The owners of the company were like, “Well, could we ever do this in America?”

They realised they didn’t have the rights to the whole package and so that’s why it became kind of a joint venture between a few companies in America.

But really, the idea was: Kayo is so good, can we just take that idea and reproduce it in America? There were a few people who worked on both, yeah.

Kayo’s a really great tentpole, a really great basis for a sports app, and that’s why people want to copy it. But they just don’t have the rights that translate to other countries around the world.

Mediaweek: The new Kayo app was completely internally built?

Tom Blaxland: Yes, it is. We partnered with vendors for additional support during the project, but the initiative was led entirely by our internal technology and product staff here in Artarmon, with more than 50 people involved across the project.
I think it’s important to, if you’re building something new like this, to have everyone in the same building. We’ve spent a lot of time with our designers, our product folks, our technical folks, sitting on a whiteboard together, figuring out the best way to do something.

And then, obviously, we have all these sports experts here, they’re also in the building. So a really collaborative, in-person experience to build unique products here is, again, a little unusual, and pretty awesome to work in a group like that.

Mediaweek: You moved to Australia for the Kayo rebuild. Was the entire family on board with you coming because you’ve got a passion for an app?

Tom Blaxland: Oh, absolutely, yes. My family has been fans of Kayo for a long time, so that was not a hard sell at all.

Moving back to Australia was a pretty easy sell also – they really love it here. On a more personal note, my son actually could have gone to any school in America to go to university, but he decided to go to the University of Sydney – so he wanted to move here. It was just a perfect time for it all to come together.

Mediaweek: What is it about Kayo that was so appealing to make the move?

Tom Blaxland: There’s a few things that are unique to Kayo, but one is that the team is all here. I’ve worked with teams that are in multiple countries and it’s much easier to work in the same room than the same earth… being able to work together in the same time zone, in the same room, it’s really amazing.

And having come here and met people when I was thinking about moving, just everyone I worked with was really great at what they did. Really passionate about what they were doing and you could see kind of a vibe here that was: “This is a set of people that can do amazing things.”

The second piece, though, as I said, is that there is just an amazing set of rights here. To have over 50 sports in one app is really unique.

And then, Binge is also a very important part of the business too and the two kind-of work together.

But having the opportunity to figure out sports problems with such a large catalogue of sports, and then find amazing product experiences that wrap those together and allow people to really interact with the sports that they love, is a fairly unique opportunity in the world, basically.

Mediaweek: What is the split of Kayo viewership? I’d assume TV viewership is larger, but what is that gap?

Tom Blaxland: If you look at the amount of consumption, it is on televisions. But, obviously mobile is growing, and one of the things we’re trying to do with this new app is bridge the gap a bit and we know that you’re not always in front of your TV – there’s not always a match-on, but you’re always a sports fan. And so trying to find a way for you to interact with our content while you’re out and about, or maybe someone else has taken the remote and the TV, is an area that we think is really interesting and will probably grow the mobile usage over time.

Mediaweek: Previously you worked on [NBCUniversal US app] Peacock. This is a very different proposition in that it’s sort of a single genre on it. But are there lessons you’re able to take from Peacock, as an app which was kind of servicing so many different audiences? Obviously here you have a lot of different sports and engagement types.

Tom Blaxland: I think the learning for both of them is really, we have a lot of content. And viewers won’t necessarily like all of it. So how do you get the preference that someone has for certain content types and get them into that content early?

But then also, the secondary piece, for both platforms is: “Hey, have you heard about this other cool sport? Let me try and get you into this other cool thing that’s happening.”

We talk a lot about the different types of sports fans. Some of it is folks who are into more Australian sports. Some people are into more international sports. There’s sports like the NBA that are growing, that you obviously have younger dominant fandoms of. There’s a bit of a commitment to say: “Here’s a whole sport. Do you want to follow this now?”

We’re doing this right now with the Club World Cup, which is a new event that hasn’t happened before. And we’re seeing the traffic go up pretty dramatically as it gets more interesting as the rounds happen. It’s a moment where we can say: “Hey, here’s a whole sport you haven’t watched before.”

Mediaweek: Obviously, the Binge app seems to have largely been built off Kayo. Could we start seeing some of the features set from this Kayo rebuild on Binge?

Tom Blaxland: That’s a great question. We’re not going to talk about that right now. If there is such an event, we’ll bring you back and talk about that.

Mediaweek: [Laughs] Okay, wink, wink, got it.

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Bonds has tapped four Gen Z creators to bring its products to life in their own way as part of the brand’s ‘As Worn By Us’ platform, launched last year.

The campaign, developed with creative agency Special, featured everyday Aussies wearing Bonds at every year of life from 0 to 100, showcasing the unique ways we experience Bonds throughout life.

The Gen Z creators campaign celebrates Bonds products including The Chesty, The Trunk, The Trackie and The Crop. Each styled and captured their personal expression of Bonds, using a point-and-shoot film camera.

The campaign features a suite of video and static assets, all directed and captured autonomously by content creators, using 35mm reusable film cameras and finished off with their personal signature and ‘As shot by’ sign off.

“This exciting new chapter in our brand campaign is all about seeing Bonds through the lens of the next generation – unfiltered, unedited, and completely authentic,” Kedda Ghazarian, Bonds Head of Marketing, said.

“From city streets to country backyards, our iconic products are a canvas for self-expression. As Shot By Us celebrates how every Aussie makes Bonds their own.”

Ryan Fitzgerald, Executive Creative Director at Special, added: “We saw how much Australians love Bonds in the first iteration of As Worn By Us. It was equally exciting to see that the love runs deep with Gen Z — they understood the assignment and nailed it with their own aesthetic.”

The campaign went live on 6 July across social, point of sale, and OOH, including interactive murals and an immersive wall at Melbourne International airport.

CREDITS

CLIENT – Bonds
Head of Marketing: Kedda Ghazarian
Marketing Manager, brand: Liz Coburn & Caitlin Porter
Senior Brand Manager: Edwina Moller

CREATIVE AGENCY – Special
CEO & Partner: Lindsey Evans
CCO & Partner: Julian Schreiber & Tom Martin
CSO & Partner Melbourne: Bec Stambanis
Managing Director Melbourne: Sasha Firth
Business Director: Marnie Dunn & Ayesha Kithulegoda
Business Manager: Mads Williams
Head of Strategy Melbourne: Nathan Rogers
ECD Melbourne: Ryan Fitzgerald
Creative: Laura Grimshaw & Hannah McCowatt
Design Director: Sabine Schwarz
Designer: Cam Morris
Head of Film & Content Production: Sophie Simmons
Lead Producer: Glen Mcleod
Senior Stills Producer: Danielle Senecky & Di Williams
Production Assistant: Aleisha Winslow & Ada Tuna
Finished Art: Jen Bailey

PRODUCTION – CASTING
Casting Company: Byrne Creative
Casting Director: Sarah Mcgrath

POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Max Robins

Photography Retouching: Visual Thing

SOUND PRODUCTION
Sound House: Rumble Studios
Executive Producer: Michael Gie
Producer: Bec Ivanov
Sound Engineer: Liam Annert

MEDIA AGENCY – OMD

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Tourism New Zealand and Mindshare have launched a new e-commerce campaign aimed at changing how destination marketing leads to bookings.

This is the first time a national tourism board has teamed up with Amazon Ads and the campaign uses a full-funnel media and commerce approach to move high-intent travellers from thinking about a trip to actively planning and booking one.

Tourism New Zealand and Mindshare worked with Amazon Ads to create a custom storefront featuring over 120 exclusive travel deals, covering flights, accommodation, transport, packages, and experiences. Major partners include Air New Zealand, Webjet, Virgin Australia, Flight Centre, Accor Hotels, Real NZ, and others.

Andrew Waddel: ‘Through this innovative partnership, we can meet travellers where they shop, and make it even easier to book a trip to Aotearoa New Zealand.’

The campaign includes advertising across Prime Video, Amazon Australia, Twitch, IMDb, and Amazon Publisher Direct (ad network).

“Working with Mindshare has enabled us break new ground – not just in media, but in how we think about converting travel intenders,” said Andrew Waddel, Regional Director – Australia, Tourism New Zealand.

“We know one of the main barriers to booking a holiday is waiting for a deal. Through this innovative partnership, we can meet travellers where they shop, and make it even easier to book a trip to Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Amazon Prime members will get access to some of the best deals during the Prime Day shopping event from 8-14 July, with the campaign running until 27th July.

Gavin Gibson: ‘This campaign exemplifies what’s possible when forward-thinking partners harness the full potential of the Amazon Ads canvas to drive real-world outcomes.’

“This work highlights the evolving and critical role of media agencies in orchestrating commerce-led brand experiences,” Gavin Gibson, Mindshare Chief Product Officer, said.

“Mindshare’s leadership in strategy, activation, and measurement has been instrumental in collaborating with Amazon and delivering a first-to-market solution that seamlessly blends media, technology, and retail innovation.”

Willie Pang, Amazon Ads Country Manager, added: “Amazon is incredibly proud to support this world-first initiative with Tourism New Zealand and Mindshare.

“This campaign exemplifies what’s possible when forward-thinking partners harness the full potential of the Amazon Ads canvas to drive real-world outcomes – transforming inspiration into action through seamless, shoppable experiences.”

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Omnicom’s acquisition IPG. Inc was approved by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) late last month, and for one indie agency founder the local industry’s silence on the matter and its potential impact in the local market has been deafening.

The acquisition, valued at $20.6 billion, makes the combined holding company the industry’s deepest bench of marketing talent of over 100,000 practitioners, broadest services including data, advertising and branding, and brings together Interpublic agencies such as Initiative, R/GA and UM with Omnicom’s stable including OMD, PHD and BBDO.

But the lucrative merger also includes a clause that stops the newly merged business from refusing to work with platforms or publishers because of political content or ideology.

This means agencies under the new Omnicom business cannot refuse an advertiser’s request to place ads with certain media outlets based on the advertiser’s own political views or beliefs.

While the lucrative deal technically applies to the US, it has the potential to impact the newly merged company’s Australian agencies.

Jen Sharpe, founder and managing director of independent agency Think HQ, spoke to Mediaweek about the potential flow on effect of the clause on Australian agencies and businesses, the role of local indie agencies and what the future of holding companies looks like.

Jen Sharpe

Mediaweek: How concerned should the industry?

Jen Sharpe: I guess the answer to that is how much does the industry actually care.

In the lead up to and through COVID, the industry lent into this idea of purpose with aplomb. It became a really popular positioning to take with clients.

Obviously, the cost-of-living-crisis happened and there was a very quick pivot away from purpose by a lot of agencies, which for me was pretty telling in that if purpose as a core value is genuine, then it’s going to remain central whether there’s a cost-of-living-crisis or not.

And so overall that made me question what the moral compass of the industry is and maybe that’s why so few people have actually spoken out about this merger.

MW: Given Australia has a specific vernacular, is this global merger a threat to Australian businesses and cultural nuances in advertising?

We know for the big global networked agencies, it’s very hard for Australian offices to have much agency when they have regional and global mandates and directives.

I think the creative work itself can still be culturally nuanced, but the business operations and the commercial realities of these global agencies will significantly impact where investment is directed and how much agency their Australian teams actually have.

Having contemporary, clever creative relies on having a diverse workplace, and I think the industry has shifted a little bit towards understanding and recognising the value of a diverse workplace.

But if DE&I initiatives are getting cancelled at a head office level, does that mean that we’re going to go back to a less inclusive environment?

That in itself, I think, has the potential to limit the creative capability of the global agencies in Australia.

MW: Could the FTC clause on political neutrality affect how global holding companies operate in Australia?

The FTC clause technically only applies within the US market, but in an increasingly global ecosystem, the ramifications for Australian businesses, I think, are really clear.

The sheer scale of compromise contained within the clause represents an inflection point for our industry and public discourse. These decisions have been made halfway around the world, dictated by a government that Australians didn’t vote for.

It directly conflicts with what Australians actually want to see in this country.

John Wren and Philippe Krawkowsky

MW: What are ways Australian leaders and individuals can navigate this?

JS: From an independent agency point of view, I think it’s about demonstrating and communicating that independents have agency over their agency.

They’re able to pick and choose the clients that they work with, and they’re able to pick and choose the media that these clients will advertise on.

While this might not be important for a certain cohort of businesses in Australia, there’s a whole other cohort where this conflict in values is going to be unacceptable, that includes people like B Corps, governments, healthcare providers, not-for-profit organisations that will not want to be working alongside organisations that are a detriment to the problem they’re trying to solve.

MW: Will this sentiment be a factor in where individuals choose to work? Will indie agencies see a rise in talent?

JS: That’s what I’m predicting. Just because agencies themselves have pivoted away from the positioning of purpose since the cost-of-living-crisis – employees – particularly the new generation of employees, are looking for greater value and meaning beyond the profitability of the agency they’re working for.

They’re looking for something more meaningful in their job and I’m not sure how many new graduates coming through and junior staff are going to be happy to be working on for example, a tobacco-funded campaign and being told that they actually have no choice and the agency has no choice.

For the senior managers, it puts them in a really tough position because there’s so many good people managing at the top of these agencies.

My guess is they’ll have to try to balance the influence from the global headquarters versus the diverse motivations of their staff. It will inevitably come to a conflict.

MW: What role do independent agencies play and how are they solution?

We’re going to double down on our DE&I work as others withdraw theirs. We’ll partner fearlessly with Australian organisations and governments to deliver work that remains free of conflict. We will be inclusive of all Australians (which just all happen to be consumers as well). We don’t apologise for being a profitable business, but for us, it’s not profit-at-all-costs.

Since 2010 when I launched the business, I’ve always been very clear that I didn’t want that inherent conflict internally because how can you truly put all your energy into a campaign that is fundamentally conflicting against another campaign that you’re running in the same business.

MW: As a leader, do you find it easy or hard to draw that line in the sand and make those stances?

JS: We don’t live in a perfect world, and as we’ve grown to over 100 staff now, we have a template with a list of questions that we ask ourselves as an agency around the client, the motivations and the impact that it has in the community and on the environment.

We’ll go through and answer all those questions and have it available for the rest of the team to view, because nothing and no one is free from conflict.

Not everything that government does is perfect. Not everything that business does is perfect, and not everything that not-for-profits do is perfect either. It’s about finding authenticity and a commitment to doing good. And avoiding those who are clearly and unapologetically creating harm to the community and the environment.

It’s about understanding what your own boundaries are as an agency and sticking to it.

MW: In your opinion, what does the future look like for holding companies?

JS: I think there’s always obviously going to be a room for global holding companies, particularly for those global brands that are looking to have footprints around the world.

From a values perspective in Australia, if Trumpism and its influence continues to pervade hold cos, clients are going to be faced with choosing between a no values (but let’s call it for what it is- conservative values) agency, or an independent agency that can deliver with discretion.

I do see the industry moving towards being more project based and Village models, I’m not sure if global hold cos are actually set up all the way from structure to reporting to delivery to be able to be able to thrive in this new environment.

MW: Are we going to see more mergers or will holding companies continue to consolidate by acquiring successful indies?

JS: I’m seeing less tack-on acquisitions in the market at the moment. There’s such a fixation on AI and we’re all figuring out the impact it’s going to have across holding companies and independents.

For hold cos, I think there’s no doubt the focus will be on productivity gains, which will inevitably result in restructures/retrenchments and potential mergers. I think there’s a lot more consolidation to go, but there have always been phases of hold cos consolidation for as long as I’ve been in the industry.

From a values perspective though, this is the first time in 15 years that I’ve clearly seen that there’s going to be a huge difference in the market between hold cos and independents, and we are going to seize the day, as should every other independent.

Top image: Think HQ founder Jen Sharpe

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If you Google Andy Lee, you’re just as likely to land on a former WBO middleweight boxing champ or a rather… gifted… OnlyFans creator.

And according to the real Andy Lee, the one with the best friend called Hamish and a flair for storytelling, he’s been mistaken for both. (Yes, even the one with the very large, ahem, feet.)

But in this week’s episode of Mediaweek’s Newsmakers, Lee isn’t here to talk about knockouts or NSFW DMs. He’s here because he’s accidentally become a bestselling children’s author, and now, that accidental book is a TV show.

Plus, we lean into the latest from the Hamish & Andy universe, and what a long-term podcast contract really means when you’re best mates, still having fun, and half-joking about one day recording from your nursing home recliners.

Mediaweek: You’re a man of many talents: You’re also a former Irish professional boxer who held the WBO middleweight title, according to my brief online research.

Andy Lee: (laughs) Yes, there’s an Irish Andy Lee that whenever he used to win a fight, I’d get a lot of direct messages on Twitter and also contacts on Twitter saying, well done, thinking that I was the actual Irish boxer fighter. The other, more recent, famous Andy Lee, who is a bit more obscure, is an OnlyFans guy called Andy Lee, who’s famous for having the largest area down there.

MW: We’re talking feet, of course?

AL: Yes, of course. He’s also reached out to me, saying, Would we do a collaboration?

MW: I love that; what a segue into your career as a children’s book author…

AL: I’ve got my ABC publicity person rolling her eyes here, going, ‘Jeepers, we haven’t had to work with this fellow before.’

MW: Did you ever think that years ago, a children’s book author would eventually be on your resume?

AL: No, not at all. I was an accidental author, anyway, having written one book that was only meant to be printed as a birthday gift for my nephew.
But my best mate from high school is a book publisher, and when I asked him to make up the test book, he said, ‘Oh, can we publish this?’ And I said, ‘no’, for three months. We argued about it for a long time, and then, eventually, I said yes. I’m glad I did because it’s all over the world.

MW: Do you reckon that freedom, in knowing you weren’t being pushed to publish and knowing it was just going to be seen by your nephew, let you be a bit more open and go for it?

AL: I certainly didn’t put as much thought into it.
That’s the worry, and that’s what happened when the next books came around. The first book was 40 minutes on a plane ride from Sydney to Melbourne because I thought, ‘Oh, this would be cute; his mum can read it to him; it’ll be special.’
My sister is also a children’s author, but for young adults, so her books have a lot more words than mine.
Anyway, there was a nice little synergy there. And then when the second book came around, I was like, Well, I’m not going to spend weeks on this. The first one only took this long, so I’ve got to lean into that. And it seems to be treating me okay.

MW: What about the process of actually bringing the book to the screen?

AL: That is much, much more challenging. My books are short on words at times, but the illustrations are so amazing. In fact, they’re so amazing that I tell the illustrator, ‘People come for the words, not the pictures’, just to make sure he knows the hierarchy (laughs).

Evolving the space in the world was a challenge, especially when it comes to things like knowing what Wiz might want to do or how he moves and who he interacts with.

We knew that we were going to do 11-minute episodes, so the stories and characters needed to be much more fully formed, and that was a challenge but also a lot of fun because you’re sitting down and thinking, ‘ Okay, where will this go? ‘

We also need a solid foundation because audiences were familiar with the character from the books, and because you can build upon that, the show went in a variety of different directions.

MW: How did you divide your time? Obviously, you do the show with Hamish, but how do you divide your time between being a children’s book writer now, being a screenwriter, and being Andy Lee?

AL: What I love about my career so far is the idea of just trying all different things. I love the variety, and I didn’t realise how slow animation would be. It’s a frame-by-frame type of stuff. It’s nice to have the outlet of the podcast with Hamish, where you roll in and it’s just a couple of microphones; it’s done, and it’s on air the next day.
I get energised by the different aspects. If this were my only project, I would have been bogged down. However, the fact that I can bounce between this and The Hundred on Channel Nine, as well as the podcast, has been a blessing.

MW: It would be remiss of me not to ask about the long-term deal with Hamish and Southern Cross Austereo (SCA). How long-term is long-term? Because in my mind, you guys are going to be wheeled out in the nursing chairs, with a couple of microphones sitting there.

AL: Yeah, we’ll both be mad and senile, and it won’t broadcast to anyone.
Hamish and I have often joked we’ll finish the day having talked to absolutely no one with microphones that aren’t plugged in, and some nurse will come and wipe out our chins and say, ‘Well done, guys, another good one!’.

MW: Isn’t that what content directors do anyway?

AL: I think so (laughs). I’m just really excited to keep doing the show.

Hamish and I obviously have a very unique relationship in that we’re best friends. We never talk about opting out of a show. We always talked about opting in, and we never really discussed the future too far with our shows.

There’s always one or two-year contracts because we wanted to make sure we’re both absolutely loving it. And if, at any point in time, Hamish turned to me and said, ‘I think I’ve had enough’, I wouldn’t be angry or try and convince him otherwise. I’d shake hands and go, ‘Wow. Well, it’s been an amazing ride, thanks so much’.

So, we reach a point when these contracts come around, and we gather around each other. We make a point of not talking about them in the interim because we want to concentrate on the fun; it can bog you down at times. Then we get back together, and kind of go, you want to still keep going out? The podcast is where I have the most fun, and I know Hamish does as well; that’s when we thought we’d add another year to it. Usually, just do two-year contracts, but, yeah, another three years after this year, we’ll be doing the podcast, which is exciting.

Hear the full conversation with Andy Lee on Mediaweek’s Newsmaker’s.

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The ICC Sydney Theatre will soon be rebranded as the “Entertainment Centre”, and expressions of interest are now open for a new naming rights partner for the venue.

With a 9,000-patron capacity and 125 ticketed events slated for 2025, the Darling Harbour-based venue is among the most active live event spaces in the Southern Hemisphere. Since opening in 2016, it has hosted top-tier acts including Elton John, Kylie, Sting and Jerry Seinfeld.

The renaming revives the legacy of the original Sydney Entertainment Centre, which was closed in 2015, and brings what Legends ASM (APAC & MENA) Chairman and CEO Harvey Lister AM called a “Back to the Future” moment for Sydney’s live entertainment scene.

“A world-class city like Sydney deserves a great CBD entertainment venue,” Lister said. “(This is) a rare and powerful naming rights opportunity for a brand ready to take centre stage and access an annual reach of 25 million potential customers.”

Crowd for Dean Lewis at the Entertainment Centre

Naming rights opportunity

The naming rights package includes:

• Venue naming rights and branding across all touchpoints

• Year-round exposure via 19 large-format digital assets throughout Darling Harbour

• Integrated experiential marketing opportunities across 100+ annual events

• Customised brand integration across the entire visitor journey

• Media exposure reaching a combined audience of Sydneysiders, tourists, and interstate visitors

“This is a once-in-a-decade chance to align a brand with moments of deep audience passion that matter.” said Don Elford, Director, Global Partnerships at ASM Global (APAC).

Adam Mather-Brown, CEO of ICC Sydney, added: “Brands have an unparalleled opportunity to align with one of Australia’s most high-performing entertainment venues situated within a vibrant precinct.”

The venue welcomed nearly 500,000 patrons in the past year and is currently ranked among Pollstar’s Top Performing Theatres globally.

Interested parties are encouraged to contact ASM Global directly to explore the partnership opportunity.

Top image: ICC Sydney CEO Adam Mather-Brown and Deputy CEO Beverley Parker

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We Are Social Australia has been appointed as the social agency of record for KFC Australia

The creative agency joins KFC’s agency roster to strengthen its social presence and cultural impact, as the brand continues to evolve its role in culture and deepen its connection with younger, social-first audiences, following the launch of KFC’s new brand platform, FLG.

We Are Social will lead social strategy and execution, delivering content that builds cultural relevance while driving retail.

The remit includes always-on content, socially-led campaigns, influencer partnerships, and real-time activation and will be developed with Ogilvy and media partner Essence MediaCom, as part of the KFC agency village.

“Some briefs just hit different. KFC has real cultural clout, and we don’t take that lightly,” Suzie Shaw, APAC CEO at We Are Social, said.

“We’re here to build on that equity with ideas that earn attention and spark the kind of conversations Australians actually want to be part of.

Sally Spriggs, Group Marketing Director of KFC Australia, added: “We’re excited to be partnering with the team at We Are Social as we continue to build a strong connection between our iconic brand and young Australians.”

News of We Are Social’s appointment comes after KFC recently launched a month of deals with the ultimate gift – covering one year of rent of four Aussies – as part of its Christmas in July celebrations.

KFC will cover the rent for four lucky Aussies for a full year as part of its Christmas in July deals, rolling out 31 straight days of mouth-watering, value-packed deals via the KFC App.

The quick service restaurant chain also brought back its fan-favourite Christmas in July merch range is back for another round of helpings, with new styles added including a KFC Conversation Card Game.

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CommBank has launched its campaign aimed at empowering Australians to overcome self-doubt and take action towards their personal and business goals.

The Doubt Never Did campaign acknowledges that while every Australian has dreams, doubt can be what holds them back. It is a refreshed platform that aims to inspire self-belief, unlock personal potential, and help Australians take the next step on their own terms.

The Australian bank teamed up with M+C Saatchi Group, MOFA, EssenceMediacom, Hart&Co, Level Two Music, Massive Music, ARC Melbourne/Sydney, and Atmos Studios, for the next evolution of CommBank’s enduring brand platform, Can.

Central to the campaign is a hero film that explores the idea that today’s ‘Great Australian Dream’ looks different for everyone. Created with M+C Saatchi Group and Yianni Warnock of MOFA, the film is set to the iconic soundtrack of Wolfmother’s reimagining of Bon Jovi’s ‘It’s My Life’.

There will be a 48-hour BVOD (Broadcaster Video On Demand) roadblock across leading broadcaster streaming services, alongside roadblocks on YouTube, TikTok and Meta.

The media strategy, led by EssenceMediacom, will deliver a phased integrated rollout across television (including a linear TV roadblock), cinema, digital, social and OOH, designed to build momentum and deepen connections over time.

“Doubt Never Did is about helping Australians to feel seen and supported, to move past uncertainty and take action towards whatever their version of success looks like,” Jo Boundy, Chief Marketing Officer, CommBank said.

“This could be starting a business, setting a savings goal or simply backing themselves. Consumers told us that ‘The Great Australian Dream’ has shifted. It’s no longer one-size-fits all.

“This campaign is about pushing through doubt to follow your unique Australian dream, no matter how big or small. It’s a shift from what’s possible to what’s personal, where we acknowledge doubt might be part of the journey, but it doesn’t have to define it.”

Emma Robbins, Executive Creative Officer at M+C Saatchi Group, said: “Doubt is no one’s friend. It holds us back and makes our dreams feel unreachable. We worked with CommBank to create a platform that reminds Aussies they can do anything with the right backing. This work is big, brave and deeply personal.

“We faced our own doubts as we set out to carefully reimagine a platform as iconic as Can, landing it in the hearts and minds of Australians through a truth and a tone that is honest, optimistic and inspiring. We can all celebrate that there is no one dream to follow. There is only your dream. And it’s beautiful. And it’s possible.”

More sites across the country reveal the full campaign: bold new creative with the line Doubt Never Did, alongside powerful portraits of real Australians who have overcome doubt to shape their own paths.

CommBank Doubt Never Did campaign rollout

The campaign starts with a national teaser: striking OOH posters that simply featured the word DOUBT – unbranded, unexplained, and placed across high-impact locations nationwide to provoke curiosity and spark conversation.

More sites across the country reveal the full campaign: bold new creative with the line Doubt Never Did, alongside powerful portraits of real Australians who have overcome doubt to shape their own paths.

Some placements also feature QR codes inviting people to go deeper – linking to longform audio interviews hosted by popular podcaster Matty J (Two Doting Dads). These stories form the emotional core of the platform, celebrating resilience, honesty and personal potential.

Among those interviewed are CommBank Matildas star Mary Fowler, dancer and inclusivity champion Zoe Karatzovalis, Colombo Social founder Shaun Christie David, Mark and Lisa Treweek from Halls Gap Zoo, and CARE Academy founder and motivational speaker Adele Auva’a.

Top image: Mary Fowler

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The Australian Women’s Weekly Health Summit is back in 2025 with an expanded national tour across five cities, following a sell-out debut in Sydney last year. The summit is presented by Are Media in partnership with Priceline Pharmacy.

Running from 9 August to 11 October, the half-day events will be held in Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth. Each summit will deliver expert insights and personal stories focused on key women’s health topics including perimenopause and menopause, mental health, longevity, and nutrition.

Following its record as Are Media’s fastest-selling event, the summit now aims to broaden its reach, offering content-led experiences that drive engagement and build community. Sophie Tedmanson, Editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly, said the 2025 series will continue the brand’s long-standing commitment to women’s health.

The Australian Women’s Weekly Editor, Sophie Tedmanson

“From our first issue in 1933, health has been a core pillar of our brand,” Tedmanson said. “The 2025 Health Summit will not only build on that legacy; it will also amplify our mission: to lead the national conversation on women’s health, spark connection, and break down taboos through shared stories.”

The line-up

The line-up features well-known Australians including Maggie Beer AO, Lisa Curry AO, Julie Goodwin, Jessica Rowe, Michelle Bridges, Melissa Leong, Edwina Bartholomew, and Erin Phillips OAM.

The Weekly’s own Fran Abdallaoui (Food Director) and Ashleigh Austen (Health Editor) will also appear, along with Priceline pharmacists offering health advice at each location.

Corrina Brazel, General Manager Marketing at Priceline Pharmacy, said the partnership aligns with the brand’s focus on women’s wellbeing. “Supporting women through every life stage is at the heart of what we do. We’re proud to bring this initiative to more communities across the country,” she said.

Priceline’s new “Anything Menopause” program equips pharmacists with accredited training to support women experiencing menopause, a topic that will feature prominently at the summit events.

A portion of ticket sales will go to the Sisterhood Foundation, Priceline’s charitable initiative supporting women and girls’ health across Australia.

The Australian Women’s Weekly Health Summit

2025 Summit dates

• Sydney: 9 August – Hilton Sydney
• Melbourne: 30 August – Crowne Plaza Melbourne
• Gold Coast: 13 September – Hilton Surfers Paradise
• Adelaide: 27 September – Hilton Adelaide
• Perth: 11 October – Parmelia Hilton Perth

Tickets are now available here.

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The Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF) has appointed SLIK to lead the national marketing and fundraising campaign focused on the 2025 Indigenous Marathon Project (IMP) running squad.

The campaign, launching in July, aims to raise $1 million to support IMF’s programs that help First Nations Australians through running and resilience.

It will follow the training journey of 12 first-time Indigenous marathoners, including newly announced ambassadors NRL player Johnathan Thurston and AFL player Lance “Buddy” Franklin, as they prepare for the New York City Marathon in November.

“IMF is doing incredible work to create lasting change in First Nations communities by using running and physical activity to promote health, create inspirational leaders, improve education and more. We’re honoured to help bring their vision to life,” said Kim Verbrugghe, managing director at SLIK.

“This campaign is more than a fundraiser. It’s a chance to unite Australians through powerful storytelling and purpose-driven action.”

SLIK will use storytelling, digital tools, and a creative PR stunt to connect with AFL and NRL fans and IMF’s growing community.

The creative agency has experience working on social impact projects, including with Paralympics Australia, FightMND, and Aboriginal Affairs NSW, and will focus on expanding the campaign’s reach and engagement.

Katie Brown, partnership and philanthropy manager at IMF, said the foundation wanted a partner who could bring creative ambition and cultural sensitivity to the project.

“SLIK really listened to the spirit of our work. They understand that this is a story of strength, pride, and possibility – and they’ve developed a campaign model that both moves people and drives results.”

The campaign will unfold over 12 months, with key moments tied to milestones for the IMF running squad and community events.

As a Supply Nation-registered agency connected to Indigenous creators, SLIK brings both creative skills and cultural understanding to the work.

Verbrugghe added: “This is a story about inclusion, belonging and belief. We’re proud to be walking, and running, alongside IMF to support their cause.”

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Pirtek has appointed Sandbox Media to oversee its media account.

This comes as the hydraulic and industrial hose maintenance and replacement service provider launches a new campaign, ‘Drama Resistant Since 1980’, developed by creative agency Rick Barry.

The campaign highlights Pirtek’s long-standing presence and strength, and is running across a mix of media channels including Triple M, SEN, BVOD and YouTube, with placements designed to connect with the brand’s main audience.

“Working with the Pirtek team alongside Hugh and the team at Rick Barry on a brand with such an amazing heritage has been a real pleasure,” Paul Brennan, Managing Director at Sandbox Media, said.

“Seeing the scale of the Pirtek operation and the work they do across so many critical industries in Australia is genuinely mind-blowing. We thoroughly enjoyed working on the strategy and activation of the media and bringing the ‘Drama Resistant’ theme to life.”

Mark Devitt, CEO at Pirtek, said: “Pirtek has always been about getting the job done – no drama, no fuss – and this campaign captures that DNA perfectly. We’re excited to partner with Sandbox and Rick Barry to bring this message to life across Australia.”

Hugh Munro, Rick Barry Founder & CSO, said: “Pirtek is one of those rare brands that already lives and breathes its message — we just had to tap into it and amplify it. ‘Drama Resistant’ is a rallying cry for tradies, miners, farmers, & indusrty who rely on Pirtek every day.”

Luke Sullivan, CEO at Sandbox Media, added: “The Pirtek win has been a fantastic addition to our portfolio and a brilliant brand to welcome into the agency. Partnering with iconic Australian brands like Pirtek, alongside the organic growth we’re seeing across our broader client base, has been a key driver of our evolution over the last few years.

“It’s allowed us to promote from within, hire new talent, and expand our office footprint with new meeting and breakout spaces.”

“We understand that marketers today are facing increased pressure, often with leaner internal teams and more complex data to interpret.

“Clients are looking for partners who can manage the full funnel while also simplifying insights for stakeholders. That’s exactly where we come in — with the right people and the right technology to support our clients every step of the way.”

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When Jess Eva was announced as the winner of the Film and TV Production category at Mediaweek’s Next of the Best awards she wasn’t in the room, but her heartfelt video message landed just as powerfully.

As co-founder of Maker Media, Eva has built a business focused on “programming with purpose”, creating shows that deliver impact as well as entertainment.

Her work often begins far from a studio: in fire-ravaged towns, flood-hit communities, or buried deep in GoFundMe pages. And her role isn’t just on-screen, she’s driving the van, leading the production, handling sales, and knocking on doors.

In this Q&A, Eva speaks candidly about her unlikely path into media, why the next generation of TV must serve something greater than just ratings, and what drives her ambition to deliver a 7:30pm show for Nine.

It’s also a window into how creative leadership looks when it’s rooted in real connection, and a reminder that success isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it starts in a van.

Jess Eva’s winning announcement at the Next Of The Best Awards 2025

Mediaweek: An all-star line-up has judged the awards. What does it mean to you to be recognised by this group?

Jess Eva: I’m the worst person to ask this as a person who genuinely never feels good enough. Maybe there was a mistake?

I’m so incredibly grateful. TV isn’t as glamorous as it looks. For me it’s now my business and involves with long drives in a van around Australia. There are also things like sales, production, and front and back of house meetings.

We don’t cast for the show as I find that sometimes those who need help most don’t ask. So we go to areas struck by disaster and just listen. We also scroll GoFundMe pages setup by family and friends around the country.
I personally fly to meet the families to make sure they’re comfortable and happy before we arrive.

There’s so much work that’s so gratifying associated with it. But it’s real. And to have it seen as something worthy from the caliber of Mediaweek and the panel – of your time thoughts and even praise is something that is not expected. I also feel slightly guilty in taking the credit as I have some incredibly loyal and hard-working beautiful people that are actually the nuts and bolts of the operation.

MW: You’ve worked in several varied roles across the media landscape, including in radio. What are both the most significant differences and the most considerable similarities between each medium?

JE: Through radio, tv and writing I think a common theme consistently exists and that sometimes we forget we are talking and communicating to people. We are talking to your neighbour up the street, the group of girls or guys you see at the pub. Regardless of the platform, everyday people are your audience. They’re like we are: stuck in traffic, tired, working towards a weekend or a holiday or struggling to pay the bills. Do we want to connect through entertainment? relatability? humour? Or all? You run the filter through human behaviour and not through the ego of a camera or self grandeur or an unauthentic performance.

MW: What has been your proudest moment since beginning your media career?

JE: I was rejected from many media schools. I sold radio advertising in a very small market and put a CD on the bosses desk every night for a year to get a chance and that was driving a cruiser car. For some that might not be much. But for me that was the start of giving me evidence that there’s not one path. And the ability to understand that the only thing stopping you from having a go is the voice in your head.

My thoughts are, if you haven’t achieved it and you try, it’s like buying a raffle ticket. You’ll either leave exactly as you came, which means you lost nothing, Or you’ll leave with a meat tray. Therefore, where is the risk?

Jess Eva’s video message which was played during her Next Of The Best win

MW: In addition to your talent in TV, what else would you like the industry to know about you?

JE: I’d like to show them as opposed to tell them. I think it holds more value.

MW: What does the next 12 months look like for you in terms of how you’re thinking about your career?

JE: We have several shows in production and pitch stage. A banner within Maker Media that is called “programming with purpose” meaning each of our shows must have some value in terms of positive value to people.

For me personally it’s an absolute razor-sharp passion to deliver Nine a 7:30pm weeknight show. The gratitude I have in their belief is not lost on me. Earlier in the year we had a small tweak in the production back end that assumed a significant amount of responsibility for deliverables from Maker Media.

It’s the trust from broadcasters, like Nine, who are still backing and supporting new concepts and formats to be created that allows opportunities for jobs, and for lives to be changed and for Australian content to be broadcast, not only in Australia, but internationally, with Warner Brothers NZ also broadcasting season one currently.

In this current climate when we generally hear gloom and doom, these moments are generally not mentioned or acknowledged. And as a result there’s a team of incredibly talented camos, audio, producers, editors, runners etc not only with jobs but hopefully with purpose.

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Racing Victoria (RV) and the Foxtel Group have confirmed an extended multi-year broadcast partnership that will keep Racing.com available across Foxtel’s platforms, including Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

Racing.com remains exclusive racing channel on Kayo

The new agreement ensures Racing.com remains the only racing channel on Kayo Sports and will now be included across the entire Foxtel Business commercial distribution network, excluding licensed venues. This move will see Racing.com become accessible in a wider range of commercial settings such as hotels, gyms, hospitals, and aged care facilities.

The RV-owned channel, which delivers 24/7 coverage of thoroughbred racing, will continue broadcasting in high definition on Foxtel Channel 529, as well as on streaming services Foxtel Now and Foxtel GO. It features racing from Victoria, South Australia, and Hong Kong, along with major UK events. A key addition is Racing.com’s new inclusion of all Western Australian thoroughbred meetings, which commenced this week.

Aaron Morrison, Chief Executive of Racing Victoria, said the expanded partnership supports RV’s mission to reach broader and younger audiences: “The breadth of coverage of Victorian racing and that of our local and global partners will be expanded further thanks to the extension of our agreement with the Foxtel Group to showcase Racing.com.”

“We are particularly excited to remain the only racing channel on Kayo Sports which is a must-have for any sporting fan and to expand the broadcast of Racing.com into Foxtel’s commercial network,” Morrison said.

Nic Goard, Foxtel Group Head of Sport and Content Partnerships, said: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with Racing.com, strengthening our commitment to showcasing the very best of Australian thoroughbred racing. This collaboration means our subscribers can continue to enjoy Racing.com’s premium racing coverage and events, alongside the breadth of sport available across our platforms.”

“It’s great that we can also continue to evolve our partnership by having the channel available to all of our Foxtel Business customers (excluding licensed venues) for the first time,” Goard added.

Racing.com continues to be a key pillar in Foxtel’s broader racing and sports content offering, as media companies aim to increase engagement with audiences via diversified platforms.

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