T: The New York Times Style Magazine Australia is the newest publishing brand to hit Australia led by publisher and editor-in-chief Katarina Kroslakova.

The brand is based on the flagship edition of T: The New York Times Style Magazine and will be publishing a quarterly print magazine supported by an online publication – taustralia.com.au– which launched on February 1 and is available for pre-order now at subscribe.taustralia.com.au. 

T Magazine will be distinctly local while still aligning with The New York Times’ mission of helping people better understand the world around them.

Ahead of the first print issue that will launch on March 15 2021, Mediaweek caught up with Kroslakova to talk about why she brought this brand to Australia and why it will be successful. 

What brought T Australia to market in this current climate?

Honestly, it was the demise of many of my favourite magazines in 2020. I love magazines. You can’t see the floor in my house because there are magazines EVERY where. I subscribe, I read, I buy, I mail-order, you name it. So when the industry had so much bad news and so much decimation, I was really affected by it. I felt kind of empty, and like the industry I loved so much was falling to pieces.

But I didn’t feel hopeless, I felt there was something radical I could do, so I thought let’s go against the flow and inject some activity and positivity into the market. My financial planner thinks I’m either crazy or a genius – talk to me in June and I’ll tell you the verdict!

What gaps in the market does T Australia fill?

A number of gaps, I feel. Firstly, there aren’t enough magazines that have a good balance of male and female readership. Our magazine will very much speak to all genders. We’re a premium style publication, but one with depth and substance. Our content is driven purely by the strength of the stories we want to tell. We also don’t take ourselves too seriously, so there will be plenty of whimsical touches, humour, and things to make readers smile.

You know magazines like the back of your hand, what do you plan to bring to T Australia to make it a hit?

Honesty and integrity are my starting point for anything we do, as a company. So T Australia has to be a magazine that can’t be found anywhere else, it has to speak completely to us, as Australians, it has to resonate with what we’re experiencing, and it has to approach the fact that we’re highlighting Australian content with pride. None of this apologetic or token stuff, thanks very much. Our creatives across all disciplines stand out on the global stage, and T Australia has to do the same.

How will the digital strategy and print strategy differ?

With our digital platforms, we’re obviously very agile, and we’ll be uploading several times a day. The bulk of our content will be local and we’ll also collaborate with key content specialists to create targeted amplifications. Our print product will be quarterly (for now – but watch this space!) and will be a journal of record of where Australia is at, each season. The magazine is also where we’ll be able to really integrate the best global journalism with our local story-telling.

What attracted you to this project?

It’s an incredible honour. I was doing a webinar last week and the moderator said my name in the same sentence as The New York Times and I nearly fell off my chair. I don’t think it’s even sunk in yet. I’m a very ambitious and curious person, and I only take on projects where I know I’ll grow and learn, both professionally and personally. As publisher and editor-in-chief, I have more control of executing special projects that I’ve been wanting to do for years in previous jobs, so that’s satisfying. Having said that, if anyone wants to take over all this extra accounting and spreadsheet hell, I’d be super grateful.

How do you balance this role with Primary Ideas?

Haha, at the moment the word balance does not exist in my professional or personal life. Until we send to print, we have all hands on deck and my children are on a diet of vegemite on toast, but in a few days, normal transmission will resume. (She says, crossing fingers…) Primary Ideas is my copywriting and content agency which actually allowed T Australia to happen, financially speaking. We work with beautiful clients across content, custom publishing, marketing, consultancy, design. I love it to bits and every day is different. I also do a huge amount of media training, so all up, we don’t sit still for long.

What do you have planned for the first print issue?

Our launch issue is in newsagents on March 15. We’ve themed it The Strength Issue. I felt like we needed a concept that gave people courage, energy, and a confident sort of power. It was important to make an impact in that way. Editorially, we will cover culture, fashion, style, design, architecture, food, drinks, travel, wellness, motoring and more. We have invested a ridiculous amount of budget into photography and creating our distinctive look. I really hope our readers are surprised, thrilled, and satisfied. I can’t wait.

What are your goals for the brand?

We’re not looking at this just as a magazine. It’s all part of the bigger picture. We have specialists on board who work across circulation, retail, subscription, advertising, social media, e-comm, styling, copy, brand, marketing, merchandise, events, you name it. We’re wanting to make this a brand that spans across multiple channels and becomes kind of like a cool club, where we share knowledge and stories.

The Australian digital advertising market enjoyed a strong comeback in Q4, recording a 29.7% growth in digital ad spend from Q3 to reach $2,935 million and a 20.3% year-on-year increase from the same quarter in 2019. The data, which is drawn from the IAB Australia Online Advertising Expenditure Report (OAER), shows that all advertising categories have achieved growth for the second consecutive quarter as the industry rebounds after the pandemic induced declines earlier in 2020.

Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia commented: “Digital advertising saw a robust comeback in the second half of the year with an extraordinarily strong December quarter with marketer demand flowing across all inventory types. The combination of delayed marketing spend, traditional seasonal uplift, news of a COVID vaccine and increased consumer online media & commerce behaviour all contributed to the stellar quarter.”

Digital a adspend Q4 highlights

Both general display and search showed strong year on year growth up 26.8% and 21.1% respectively. The strong investment in display lifted its share of the digital ad spend to 41% compared to 39% in December. All display formats saw an increase compared to the prior year showing strong diversified investment for the quarter. Again, video advertising investment led the way with a 41% increase compared to the same quarter last year.

Advertising by retailers held a record share of digital ad spend, representing 18.5% of the market compared to 11.7% for the prior year. Investment by auto advertisers continued to lag the rest of the market with share from 23.7% in 2018, then 14.7% in 2019 to 10.8% in 2020.

Calendar year highlights

Total investment in digital advertising for calendar year (CY) 2020 reached $9.5 billion, up 2% from CY 2019.

Growth was suppressed by the impact of the pandemic on classified listings digital ad spend, which declined 7.3% year-on-year. However, the display market saw a 5.4% increase supported by another strong year for digital video investment, which was up 17.2%. Search advertising rose 2.8% to reach $4.3 billion which represents 45% of the total digital ad market.

Content publishers saw more of the inventory purchased through programmatic methods with programmatic RTB, PMP and guaranteed representing 44% of display revenue generated in 2020 compared to 36% in 2019. CTV share of video continues to increase, up from 35% to 45% of content publishers’ video investment in 2020 compared to 2019.

Throughout 2020 retailers lifted their investment in digital ad spend with this advertiser category now representing a 15% share of display investment up from 10% in 2019. Other categories to significantly increase share were Technology and FMCG. The two categories that had the largest decrease in share were travel and automotive.

See also: Nicole Bence appointed Chair of IAB Australia board

SCA has announced two senior digital audio appointments in the business, following the launch of LiSTNR last week. 

Grant Tothill, currently head of SCA Podcasting, will take on the additional role of general manager- digital audio, responsible for bringing together all functional areas of the business to ensure SCA delivers on its digital audio ambitions particularly in relation to LiSTNR. 

As LiSTNR will be the new ‘home’ of SCA’s podcast content, the PodcastOne Australia team will now be referred to as LiSTNR Podcasts. Tothill will continue to oversee this and lead the team.

Chris Johnson has been promoted to the newly created role of head of digital and innovation. 

Johnson will continue to oversee the digital leadership team and manage the roadmap of SCA’s core digital products including LiSTNR. 

He will also now be responsible for establishing and managing SCA’s local and international digital partnerships. He will drive internal digital knowledge, collaboration and innovation to ensure SCA stays ahead of emerging trends and opportunities in the digital audio space. 

“The consumption of digital audio in Australia is growing rapidly and presents an exciting opportunity for SCA to capitalise on this emerging market and LiSTNR will be our new ‘home’ for SCA’s digital audio content,” SCA chief operating officer, John Kelly, said. 

“Grant’s proven success in leading PodcastOne Australia from strength to strength gives me the absolute confidence that he will be exceptional in this new and enhanced role. 

“We are very fortunate to have someone such as Chris with his level of skill and expertise in digital and we know that he will continue to excel in his new role.” 

LiSTNR is a curated and personalised, free app offering radio, podcasts, music, and news, creating a new audio destination. Highly personalised, it provides listeners a new world of audio entertainment, with their own daily feed of audio and easy discovery of new content through curated recommendations.  

Signed in users allow LiSTNR to provide a large scale known audience, enabling dynamic ad targeting, based on demographics and behaviour, offering brands unique audio advertising and partnership opportunities. 

—

Top Photo: Grant Tothill and Chris Johnson

The Out of Home (OOH) industry has announced full-year net media revenue results including the category breakdowns for 2020.

The industry saw a total decrease of 39.4 per cent on net media revenue in 2020.

Last month out of home first announced a decrease of 39.4 per cent on net media revenue for 2020, reporting $566.5 million, down from $935.5 million for 2019.

Quarter four 2020 saw a decrease of 32.9 per cent on net media revenue year-on-year, posting $181 million, down from $269.9 million for quarter four 2019.

Digital out of home (DOOH) revenue accounts for 56.1 per cent of total net media revenue year-to-date, an increase over the recorded 55.8 per cent for the same period last year.

Outdoor Media Association acting CEO Kylie Green said: “The year just ended was extremely challenging for the advertising industry, and the outdoor industry felt the full brunt of COVID-19 lockdowns. Though the impact of these restrictions still lingers, our outlook is bright: net media revenue is up 6.7 per cent from November to December, audiences are returning to outdoor spaces, and consumer confidence in December was at a ten-year high.”

As previously reported, out of home net media revenue for 2020 decreased to $566.5 million, down from $935.5 million for 2019, across the following categories:

Category figures 2020
Roadside Billboards (over and under 25 square metres) $272.2 million
Roadside Other (street furniture, bus/tram externals, small format) $153.2 million
Transport (including airports) $62.4 million
Retail, Lifestyle and Other $78.7 million

Category figures 2019
Roadside Billboards (over and under 25 square metres) $369.4 million
Roadside Other (street furniture, bus/tram externals, small format) $266.5 million
Transport (including airports) $169.4 million
Retail, Lifestyle and Other $130.2 million

The new oOh!media chief executive officer Cathy O’Connor yesterday noted the decisive response to the Covid-19 movement restrictions across Australia and New Zealand ensured her company managed the short-term challenging conditions during the year.

“The unprecedented restrictions on people movement and resulting audience decline impacted out of home more severely than other media segments,” said O’Connor.

Despite the challenges caused by Covid-19, O’Connor said the longer-term fundamentals for the out of home sector remain positive.

“Out of home is a highly effective medium to deliver impactful national broadcast reach in all markets during this period and beyond.”

See also: After out of home revenue plunge over $100m, sector sees improvement

Fiona Johnston (pictured), CEO of UM Australia, has been promoted to a new international role within Mediabrands. She has been appointed chief growth officer, Mediabrands, Global/EMEA and will relocate to the UK to take up the new position. 

“We are sad to be losing Fiona and also elated she is going to a new, senior position and still in our wider network,” said Mediabrands Australia CEO Mark Coad. “She has been a passionate and highly successful CEO of UM, evidenced by important wins in new business, client retention and awards. Fiona leaves with our gratitude for all she has achieved for UM and we wish her every success in the new role.”

Johnston has been CEO of UM Australia since October 2017. In that time, the business has been recognised by industry and clients as one of the leading lights of the media communications world, with retentions such as Coca-Cola, Kmart and ING – along with wins such as the Australian Government, Nestle, Menulog, David Jones and Mattel.

Fiona Johnston said, “I am sad to be leaving Coady and the team at such an exciting time for UM in Australia. It really is the best bunch of strong, amazing humans and I’m so proud to have been a part of our shared success. Equally the opportunity to craft more of this globally is a great honour indeed. I am excited to work with the global and Europe team to help bring it to life, as I know only we can.”

Based in London, Johnston’s international role will include creating and curating growth in support of both Global and EMEA markets, to deliver market advantage to existing and potential clients. Johnston will also be taking a lead in working with Mediabrands parent company, IPG, on group co-ordination.

Fiona Johnston’s replacement as CEO of UM Australia has been appointed and will be announced imminently.

The Australian Home Entertainment Distributors Association (AHEDA) has revealed the most-watched and best-selling movie and television titles for 2020, uncovering new home entertainment consumption trends aligned with the impact of COVID-19. 

When Australia’s population was looking for a welcome distraction in their homes amidst 2020, the consumption of home entertainment reached an all-time high during the peak of the pandemic.

With a wide breadth of titles and easy access to multiple platforms, it’s little wonder that in April digital purchase reached +55% and in May +29%. Digital rental followed a similar trend; in April it was +49% and May saw +43%. Furthermore, Amazon Prime Video launched its service to buy and rent movies and TV in May, expanding the competitive landscape beyond Apple TV, Google Play, Foxtel Store, YouTube, Telstra Box Office, and Fetch, in addition to gaming platforms such as PlayStation and Xbox.  

Jim Batchelor, chairman, AHEDA said: “Australian consumers clearly embraced the ease and choice that digital platforms offered during the lockdown and I’m certain that this trend will continue in the future.”

As the physical cinematic experience came to a halt and new release titles were expedited to digital platforms, owning and renting movies immediately following their premiere, had never been easier or more affordable. It’s clear that consumers turned to digital entertainment to provide a welcome distraction, and also to connect them to friends and family. 

The star-studded action-comedy Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony), was the top-performing and most purchased film of 2020, followed by action-adventure comedy film based on the Sonic video game Sonic The Hedgehog (Paramount), and animated hit Frozen 2 (Disney). 

Oscar-nominated film the Joker (2019) (Roadshow) taking out the most-watched film in the digital renting category, followed by Sonic The Hedgehog (Paramount) and The Gentleman (2019) (Roadshow). 

Batchelor said: “Jumanji has proven to be the perfect film for 2020. Fun and action for all the family, a great cast and a little nostalgia to get us through a tough year.”

It didn’t stop at films, television caught our attention too with Outlander – the complete 5th series (Sony) taking out the number one spot of most purchased in the category, followed by Brooklyn 99 – the complete 7th series (Universal), and the 100 – the complete 7th series (Warner Bros). Interestingly, the much-hyped series The Undoing starring Nicole Kidman made its way into the top 5 for the year having only been made available from November.

The most-transacted Australian produced titles across digital platforms included: Ride Like a Girl (Sony), Invisible Man (2020) (Universal), Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears (Roadshow).

The closure of cinemas through the middle of the year and the subsequent lack of theatrical films therefore flowing onto the digital transactional services meant a decline in consumption. Digital purchase was -26% in Q3 and digital rental followed a similar pattern, though not as sharp, with a decline of -12% in Q3.

The cinematic disruption, aligned with the consequences of the pandemic, positively impacted the digital transaction market, leading to a resurgence in classic films and fan favourites. As the availability of new release content started to slow, Australian’s accessed much-loved classics including titles such as Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter.

Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Telstra Box Office, and Fetch offer a comprehensive selection of films – available shortly after their cinema release – allowing Aussies to access the titles they want, when they want, from preferred digital platforms.

Top 10 Best Selling Movies:

Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony)

Sonic The Hedgehog (Paramount) 

Frozen 2 (Disney)

Joker (2019) (Roadshow)

Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise Of Skywalker (Disney)

Bad Boys For Life (Sony)

The Gentlemen (Roadshow)

Bloodshot (Sony)

Scoob! (Warner Bros)

Ford V Ferrari (Disney)

Top 10 Rented Movies:

Joker (2019) (Roadshow)

Sonic The Hedgehog (Paramount)

The Gentlemen (Roadshow)

Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony)

Gemini Man (2019) (Paramount)

1917 (Entertainment One)

Knives Out (Sony)

Ford V Ferrari (Disney)

Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood (Sony)

Hustlers (Roadshow)

Top 10 TV Series:

Outlander – The Complete 5th Series (Sony)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine – The Complete 7th Series (Universal)

The 100 – The Complete 7th Series (Warner Bros)

Vikings – The Complete 6th Series (MGM)

The Undoing – The Complete 1st Series (HBO)

Supernatural – The Complete 15th Series (Warner Bros)

Big Little Lies – The Complete 2nd Series (HBO)

Game Of Thrones – The Complete 8th Series (HBO)

Chernobyl – The Complete 1st Series (HBO)

Succession – The Complete 1st Series (HBO)

Top 10 Australian Produced Movies:

Ride Like A Girl (Sony)

The Invisible Man (2020) (Universal)

Miss Fisher & The Crypt Of Tears (Roadshow)

Danger Close: The Battle Of Long Tan (Sony)

100% Wolf (Universal)

Go! (Roadshow)

Peter Rabbit (Sony)

Black Water: Abyss (Universal)

Carl Barron – Drinking With A Fork (Universal)

The Nightingale (Sony)

After a back and forth night of mini-golfing on Channel Seven, garbo Mark Duncan was crowned Australia’s first Holey Moley champion, bagging $100,000 in prize money.

With his good luck charm – a signed Greg Norman hat – in his pocket, Mark made it through his early rounds contests against Jesse Earnshaw on Clowning Around and Teresa Thoi on Polcano with some pressure putting to make it to the final hole.

Greg Norman’s top-secret final hole, The Tomb of Nefer-Tee-Tee, was the final hurdle where Mark would compete against pro-golfer, Montana Strauss and drone-pilot, Jayden Lawson.

With Montana and Jayden having both achieved a hole-in-one during their championship rounds, Mark stepped up to the Grand Final hole as the underdog.

With the Grand Final hole a heavily guarded secret until tonight’s competition, Holey Moley resident golf pro, Greg Norman, had been tight-lipped on what players could expect from Nefer-Tee-Tee, saying only: “It’s a little different to the plans.”

Following the reveal of The Tomb of Nefer-Tee-Tee the contestants realised that the pint-sized pyramid hole may not have been what was expected but was a major barrier between the contestants and $100,000.

Each player had to putt through the sphinx onto the rotating pyramids and then onto the green with a 100-ft shot at a hole-in-one. Trading shots, Montana had three very near misses, Jayden came close on his putts, but on the third round Mark hit an outstanding putt which saw his ball sink the hole and win him the $100,000.

Mark was dazed by his win. “I cannot believe it!” he told Sonia Kruger before sharing the prize money would be spent on his family, a new car and some golf clubs.

Seven to roll out the plaid carpet for Celebrity Holey Moley

The Seven Network today announced Celebrity Holey Moley, a spectacular star-studded edition of its hit series Holey Moley, will premiere 7.00pm Sunday, 28 February.

A who’s who of celebrities from Australia’s premier entertainment and sporting worlds will take on the mighty Holey Moley course in extreme mini golf’s night of nights.

Australia’s favourite celebrities set to take on the hallowed checkered green include football legends Mat Rogers and Barry Hall, beauty queen and sports commentator Erin Holland, Olympic Gold medallist Steven Bradbury, Big Brother’s Angela Clancy, entertainment icon Denise Drysdale, The Bachelorette’s Ali Oetjen and Love Island’s Eden Dally.

Former rugby dual-code international, Rogers, plays to a handicap of six strokes and is a hot tip heading into the competition, but as these celebrities know, in showbiz anything can happen. What they don’t know is that on the Holey Moley course, anything can happen.

These celebs are about to learn the Holey Moley course doesn’t care who you are, if you want to play ball you’ll still have to conquer the towering windmills of Dutch Courage, slay the fire-breathing Dragon’s Breath and brave Putt the Pirate’s shark infested waters.

Celebrity Holey Moley airs 7.00pm Sunday, 28 February on Channel 7 and 7plus.

Seven announces Holey Moley Junior to tee off Monday March 1

Holey Moley Junior, a competition event special showcasing Australia’s brightest golfing prodigies, will tee off 7.30pm Monday, 1 March on Channel 7.

Holey Moley Junior brings together eight of the country’s most talented junior mini golfers, ranging in age from eight to 10 years, to battle it out across three rounds. While they show off their skills on the most extreme mini golf course on the planet, these competitive kids are chasing the ultimate prize: the Holey Moley plaid jacket, golden putter, a $10,000 golf shopping spree, and the bragging rights that come with being crowned the world’s first-ever Holey Moley Junior Champion.

How will these golfing stars of tomorrow deal with the Holey Moley obstacles? That’s where their parents step in. While the kids take the putts, their adult caddies will take the hits on course favourites, including Putter Ducky, Dutch Courage, Putt the Plank any many more.

With hours of daily training and prior wins in junior golf tournaments, it’s an even pack heading into the competition.

Nine-year-old Oliver, who dreams of becoming a professional golfer, has his sights set on taking out the championship, “I love golf. I’ve been playing golf for as long as I can remember. I like the feeling of winning because all the hard work pays off.”

Teamwork is the key to success for nine-year-old Janie, “me and Dad are going to win because we are the best team,” said Janie, who has been playing golf for eight years. “Winning Holey Moley would be the best thing ever. I’m pumped!”

Eight-year-old Oscar has a clear strategy for the win, “getting a hole-in-one on the first one and dad getting through the obstacles.” Oscar’s dad, Jay, admits he’s feeling the pressure but is still confident, “he’s got the ability and I think I’ve got the agility!”

Standing by with words of wisdom for contestants and caddies will be host Sonia Kruger, Holey Moley’s resident golf pro Greg Norman and commentators Rob Riggle and Matt Shirvington.

Holey Moley Junior airs 7.30pm Monday, 1 March on Channel 7 and 7plus

STARZ announced today the debut of the exclusive limited series The Gloaming, premiering on Sunday, March 21 on STARZ across all platforms, as well on STARZ at 9PM ET/PT. 

Additionally, the network unveiled the official trailer as well as the original key art for the eight episode series.

When a woman is found brutally killed, the clues surrounding her death connect to murders both past and present. Political corruption and shady business dealings are soon entwined with sinister crimes and occult practices. At the center of this web are two detectives, Molly McGee (played by Emma Booth, “Once Upon a Time”) and Alex O’Connell (played by Ewen Leslie, “Top of the Lake”) who share a tragic past. In a harrowing journey to find the truth, their fate is coerced by the ghosts of the unsettled dead that linger in the liminal space between life and death — known as The Gloaming.

Additionally, the series stars Martin Henderson (“Grey’s Anatomy”) as Gareth McAvaney, Aaron Pedersen (“Mystery Road”) as Inspector Lewis Grimshaw, Rena Owen (“The Orville”) as Grace Cochrane, Josephine Blazier (True History of the Kelley Gang) as Lily Broomhall, and Matt Testro (“Nowhere Boys”) as Freddie Hopkins. 

Written and created by Victoria Madden (“The Kettering Incident”), who also serves as showrunner, “The Gloaming” is a co-production with Madden’s Sweet Potato Films and John Molloy’s (“Molly,” Boys in the Trees) 2 Johns Productions and ABC Signature, a division of Disney Television Studios, and premiered on Stan Australia in 2020. 

Speaking about STARZ picking up The Gloaming, Madden said: “I am thrilled that The Gloaming has found a perfect home at STARZ in the US with their unique and bold content. We can’t wait to share it with audiences over there.”

The series features a line-up of internationally renowned, Australian directorial talent including Greg McLean (Wolf Creek, Jungle), who also serves as an executive producer, as well as Michael Rymer (“Hannibal,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “American Horror Story”) and Sian Davies (“Reef Break,” “Wentworth”). Keli Lee, Nick Forward, Jon Adgemis, and Michael Gudinski also serve as executive producers, with John Molloy and Fiona McConaghy as producers. 

Filmed in Australia, funding was provided in part by Screen Australia, Screen Tasmania and Film Victoria. The Gloaming was filmed entirely in locations across Tasmania, Australia.

Disney’s new general entertainment brand, Star will launch on the Disney+ streaming platform on 23 February, and be included as part of users Disney+ subscription.

At launch, the Disney Plus app homepage will add Star alongside existing channels Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.

This will broaden Disney’s content appeal to consumers and include titles from Disney Television Studios, FX, 20th Century Studios and 20th Television.

In Australia, the launch of Star will nearly double the amount of content available to stream on the service, with hundreds of seasons from 155 TV series, almost 450 movies and a slate of 4 exclusive Star Originals at launch.

From 23 February Australian customers can access the new Star content by subscribing to Disney+ for $11.99 per month, or $119.99 annually. Current prices for existing subscribers (prior to 23 February) will be honoured for six months, with the price change taking effect on the next monthly or annual renewal date for subscribers following 22 August 2021.

From launch, Disney+ will become the exclusive home of Star Originals. Titles streaming on Disney+ include crime thriller Big Sky from visionary storyteller David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, The Undoing), Love, Simon spin-off series Love, Victor written by the film’s original writers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger (This Is Us) and adult animated sitcom Solar Opposites, co-created by Justin Roiland (Rick & Morty) and Mike McMahan.

Drama series Helstrom, executive produced by Paul Zbyszewski along with Karim Zreik and Jeph Loeb, will also be available at launch. Other projects premiering in 2021 are premium series Dopesick and The Dropout and new content from the Kardashian Jenner family among many more.

Disney+ subscribers will be able to stream hundreds of seasons of TV series like Alias, Felicity, Desperate Housewives, Bob’s Burgers and Ugly Betty.

The Emmy Award and Golden Globe-nominated comedy series black-ish starring Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross and Yara Shahidi, Shonda Rhimes’s critically-acclaimed legal drama Scandal and feminist comedy Dollface created by Jordan Weiss will also be available for subscribers to watch.

Award-winning movies available at launch include James Cameron’s Titanic, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Grand Budapest Hotel, along with classics like Pretty Woman, Die Hard, The Devil Wears Prada, and Moulin Rouge.

New parental controls will also launch on 23 of February and will include the ability to set limits on access to content for specific profiles based on content classifications and the ability to add a PIN to lock profiles with access to mature content.

Star: Australian launch content list

STAR ORIGINALS (4)

Big Sky

Love, Victor

Helstrom

Solar Opposites

MOVIES (447)

12 Rounds

127 Hours

13th Warrior, The

25th Hour

27 Dresses

28 Days Later

28 Weeks Later

42 To 1

500 Days Of Summer

9 To 5

A Gift Of Miracles

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

Aftermath

Air Force One (1997)

Air Up There, The

Alamo, The (2004)

Alien

Alien Resurrection

Alien Vs. Predator

Alien: Covenant

Alien3

Aliens

Aliens Vs. Predator – Requiem

All About Steve

Amelia

Anna And The King

Annapolis

Another Earth

Antwone Fisher

Anywhere But Here

Arachnophobia

Armageddon

Art Of Getting By, The

A-Team, The

Babylon A.D.

Bachelor Party

Bad Company (2002)

Bad Company (Aka: Tool Shed)

Bad Girls (1994)

Baggage Claim

Banger Sisters, The

Battle For The Planet Of The Apes

Battle Of The Sexes

Be Water

Beaches

Because Of Winn-Dixie

Before And After (1996)

Behind Enemy Lines (2001)

Beloved (1998)

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The

Best Laid Plans

Bible, The

Big Trouble

Billy Bathgate

Black Nativity

Black Swan (2010)

Blue Max, The

Book Of Life, The

Book Thief, The

Bootmen

Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation …

Boys Don’t Cry

Bravados, The

Braveheart

Breakthrough

Bringing Down The House

Bringing Out The Dead

Broadcast News (Aka: Nachrichtenfieber)

Brokedown Palace

Broken Arrow (1996)

Broken Lizard’s Club Dread

Brothers In Exile

Bubble Boy

Bushwhacked

Butch And Sundance: The Early Days

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid

Calendar Girls

Call Of The Wild, The (2020)

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Can’t Buy Me Love

Casanova

Cedar Rapids

Chasing Tyson

Choke

Chronicle

Cinderella Man

Clearing, The

Cleopatra (1963)

Cocktail

Cocoon: The Return

Cold Creek Manor

Color Of Money, The

Comebacks, The

Commando (1985)

Con Air

Consenting Adults

Conviction

Corky Romano

Courage Under Fire

Coyote Ugly

Cradle Will Rock

Crazy Heart

Crazy/Beautiful

Crimson Tide

Crucible, The

Damien – Omen Ii

Dangerous Minds

Darjeeling Limited, The

Dark Water

Date Night

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

Day After Tomorrow, The

Day The Earth Stood Still, The (2008)

Day The Series Stopped, The

Day Watch

Dead Poets Society

Dead Presidents

Deadpool

Deadpool 2

Deception (2008)

Deep End, The

Deep Rising

Deion’s Double Play

Deja Vu

Delivery Man

Demolition

Descendants, The

Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo

Devil Wears Prada, The

Devil’s Due

Die Hard

Die Hard 2

Die Hard With A Vengeance

Doc & Darryl

Doctor Dolittle (1998)

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Dominican Dream, The

Double Take

Down And Out In Beverly Hills

Down Periscope

Downhill

Dragonball: Evolution

Drive Me Crazy

Drop, The

Dude, Where’s My Car?

Duets

East, The

Ed Wood

Eddie The Eagle

Edge, The

Edward Scissorhands

Enemy Of The State

Enough Said

Escape From The Planet Of The Apes

Ever After (Aka: Ever After: A Cinderella Story)

Evita

Fab Five, The (2011)

Face Off

Family Stone, The

Far From The Madding Crowd (2015)

Father Of The Bride

Father Of The Bride Part Ii

Fault In Our Stars, The

Favourite, The

Ferdinand

Fifth Estate, The

Firestorm (1998)

Flicka

Flight Of The Phoenix (2004)

Flightplan

Fly, The (1986)

For The Boys

Four Falls Of Buffalo

French Connection Ii

French Connection, The

Fright Night

From Hell

G.I. Jane

Garage Days

Gone In Sixty Seconds

Good Day To Die Hard, A

Good Morning, Vietnam

Good Son, The (1993)

Good, The Bad, The Hungry, The

Goodbye Christopher Robin

Grand Budapest Hotel, The

Greatest Showman, The

Grosse Pointe Blank

Guilty As Sin

Gun Shy

Hand That Rocks The Cradle, The

He Got Game

Hello Dolly!

Help, The

Her Infidelity

Hidalgo

Hidden Figures

Hidden Life, A

Hide And Seek

High Fidelity

High Heels And Low Lifes

Hills Have Eyes 2, The

Hills Have Eyes, The

Hitchcock

Hitman

Hitman: Agent 47

Hoffa

Holy Man

Hope Floats

Hope Springs (2003)

Hot Chick, The

Hot Shots!

Hundred-Foot Journey, The

I Hate Christian Laettner

I Heart Huckabees

I Origins

I Think I Love My Wife

In America

In Her Shoes

Independence Day

Into The Grizzly Maze

Inventing The Abbotts

Jenniferâ´S Body

Jingle All The Way

John Tucker Must Die

Johnson Family Vacation

Jojo Rabbit

Jordan Rides The Bus

Joshua

Judge Dredd

Juno

Just Married

Just Wright

Keeping Up With The Joneses

Kid Who Would Be King, The

King Arthur

Kingdom Come

Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kinsey

Kissing Jessica Stein

Ladykillers, The

Last Dance (1996)

Last King Of Scotland, The

League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The

Let’s Be Cops

Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, The

Like Mike

Little Big Men

Little Miss Sunshine

Live Free Or Die Hard

Logan

Longest Ride, The

Mad Love (1995)

Marked For Death

Marrying Man, The

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Martian, The

Mash

Max Payne

Maze Runner, The

Me And Earl And The Dying Girl

Medicine Man

Megan Leavey

Melinda And Melinda

Men Of Honor

Metro

Miami Rhapsody

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Mission To Mars

Mistress America

Monuments Men , The

Moonlight Mile

Morgan

Moulin Rouge (2001)

Mountain Between Us, The

Mr. Popper’s Penguins

Murder On The Orient Express (2017)

My Cousin Rachel (1952)

My Cousin Rachel (2017)

My Cousin Vinny

My Father The Hero

Mystery, Alaska

Nature Boy

Need For Speed

Never Been Kissed

Never Let Me Go

Newton Boys, The

Nixon

No Mas

Notes On A Scandal

Nothing To Lose

Notorious

Of Miracles And Men

Office Space

Omen, The (1976)

One Good Cop

One Hour Photo

Other Side Of The Door, The

Other Sister, The

Other Woman, The (2014)

Our Family Wedding

Out To Sea

Paper Towns

Patti Cake$

Patton

Pearl Harbor

People Like Us

Phenomenon

Phi Slama Jama

Picture Perfect (1997)

Planet Of The Apes (1968)

Pony Excess

Poseidon Adventure, The

Powder

Preacher’s Wife, The

Predator 2

Predators

Pretty Woman

Primeval

Proposal, The (2009)

Quills

Quiz Show

Ramona And Beezus

Ready Or Not

Rebound

Red Tails

Renaissance Man

Revenge Of The Nerds Ii: Nerds In Paradise

Rio

Rio 2

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

Robin Hood (1991)

Rock, The

Romancing The Stone

Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion

Royal Tenenbaums, The

Ruby Sparks

Runaway Bride

Rushmore

Scarlet Letter, The

Scary Movie 4

Sea Of Shadows

Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The

Secret Agent, The

Secret Life Of Bees, The

Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, The

Sessions, The

Shadow Conspiracy

Shallow Hal

Shine (2018)

Shining Through

Sideways

Signs

Silver Streak

Simple Twist Of Fate, A

Sitter, The

Six Days, Seven Nights

Sixth Sense, The

Sleeping With The Enemy

Snake Eyes

Someone Like You

Soul Food

Sound Of My Voice

Speed

Spies In Disguise

Spy

Spy Hard

Stagecoach

Starship Troopers

Step

Stoker

Stuber

Summer Of Sam

Sunshine (2007)

Super Troopers (2002)

Super Troopers 2

Surrogates

Sweet Home Alabama

Table 19

Taken (2008)

Taken 2

Taken 3

Taxi (2004)

Terminal Velocity

Terminator: Dark Fate

Thank You For Smoking

That Thing You Do!

The Shape Of Water

There’s No Place Like Home

There’s Something About Mary

This Means War

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Three Fugitives

Three Men And A Baby

Tim Richmond: To The Limit

Titan A.E.

Titanic (1997)

Tolkien

Tombstone

Tora! Tora! Tora!

Trance

Transporter 2

Transporter, The

Trapped In Paradise

Tristan & Isolde

True Identity

Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie

Unbreakable

Under The Tuscan Sun

Underwater

Unstoppable (2010)

Up Close & Personal

Verdict, The

Veronica Guerin

Victor Frankenstein

Village, The (2004)

Viva Zapata

Volcano (1997)

Waiting To Exhale

Waitress

Waking Life

Walk The Line

Television Series (155)

Wall Street

War For The Planet Of The Apes

War Horse

War Of The Roses, The

Warlock (1959)

Watch, The (2012)

Water For Elephants

Waterboy, The

We Bought A Zoo

What Carter Lost

What’s Love Got To Do With It

When A Man Loves A Woman

While You Were Sleeping

White Men Can’t Jump

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Why Him?

Wild (2014)

Wild Hogs

Wilson (2017)

Win Win

Working Girl (1988)

X-Files, The

Year Of The Scab

TV SHOWS (155)

24 S1-8

10 Things I Hate About You S1 And 2

2000s, The Decade We Saw It All S1

24: Legacy S1

24: Live Another Day S9

8 Simple Rules S1 And 2

80s Greatest, The S1

90s Greatest, The S1

90s, The: The Last Great Decade? S1

9-1-1 S1 To 3

According To Jim S1 To 8

Alias S1 To 5

Alone Together S1 And 2

American Dad S1-15

American Housewife S1 To 4

Angel S1 To 5

Animal Fight Night S1 To 6

Apocalypse World War I S1

Apocalypse: The Second World War S1

Area 51: The Cia’s Secret Tv Special

Army Wives S1 To 7

Astronaut Wives Club, The S1

Baby Daddy S1 To 6

Benched S1

Betrayal S1

Beyond S1 And 2

Black-Ish S1 To 5

Bless The Harts S1

Bless This Mess S1 And 2

Blood & Oil S1

Blossom S1 To 5

Bob’s Burgers S1 To 9

Body Of Proof S1 To 3

Bones S1 To 9

Bordertown S1

Brickleberry S1 To 3

Brothers & Sisters S1 To 5

Bunheads S1

Buried Secrets Of Wwii S1

Burn Notice S1 To 7

Castle S1 To 8

Catch, The S1 And 2

Chance S1 And 2

Chi, The S1 And 3

Cleveland Show, The S1 To 4

Commander In Chief S1

Cougar Town S1 To 6

Dawn Of The Nazis

(Aka: Apocalypse: Hitler’s Rise To Power) S1

Desperate Housewives S1 To 8

Devious Maids S1 To 4

Dirt S1 To 2

Dirty Sexy Money S1 To 2

Dollface S1 S1

Don’t Trust The B— In Apartment 23 S1 To 2

Drugs, Inc. S2, 3, 4 And 7

Eli Stone S1 And 2

Ellen S1 To 5

Emergence S1

Empire S1 To 6

Family Guy S18

Felicity S1 To 4

Finder, The S1

Firefly S1

Fix, The S1

Flashforward S1

For The People S1 And 2

Fresh Off The Boat S1 To 6

Galavant S1 And 2

Gcb S1

Genius S1 And 2

Gifted, The S1 And 2

Glades, The S1 To 4

Glee S1 To 6

Grand Hotel S1

Grandfathered S1

Greek S1 To 6

Grey’s Anatomy S15, 16 And 17

Grown-Ish S1 To 3

Heroes Of The Long Road Home

With Martha Raddatz Tv Special

Hill Street Blues S1 To 7

Hitler Youth S1

Hitler’s Death Squad S1

Hitler’s Last Year S1

Homeland S1 To 8

Hot Zone, The S1

How I Met Your Mother S1 To 9

Inside North Korea’s Dynasty S1

Inside The Ss S1

Jane By Design S1

Kevin (Probably) Saves The World S1

Kids Are Alright, The S1

Killing, The S1 To 4

Kyle Xy S1 To 4

La 92 Tv Special

Lance Tv Series

Last Man On Earth, The S1 To 4

Last Man Standing S1 To 8

Lie To Me S1 To 3

Life In Pieces S1 To 4

Locked Up Abroad (Aka: Banged Up Abroad) S 5, 6 And 10

Make It Or Break It S1 To 4

Mars (Yr 1 2016/17 Eps 1-7) S1 And 2

Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger S1 And 2

Mayor, The S1

Melissa & Joey S1 To 5

Mick, The S1 And 2

Mistresses S1 To 4

Mixed-Ish S1 S1

My Name Is Earl S1 To 4

My So-Called Life S1

My Wife And Kids S To 5

Napoleon Dynamite S1

Nazi Megastructures S1 To 6

Nazi Megastructures: America’s War S5

Nazi Megastructures: Russia’s War S1

New Girl S1 To 7

North Korea From The Inside With Michael Palin S1

O.J.: Made In America Tv Special

Orville, The S1 And 2

Outmatched S1

Perception S1 To 3

Prison Break S1 To 4

Prison Break Event Series S5

Private Practice S1 To 6

Quantico S1 To 3

Raising Hope S1 To 4

Raising The Bar S1 And 2

Real O’neals S1 To 2

Red Band Society S1

Resident, The S1 To 3

Resurrection S1 And 2

River, The S1

Rosewood S1 To 2

Salem S1 To 3

Samantha Who? S1 And 2

Scandal S1 To 7

Secrets & Lies S1 And 2

Single Parents S1

Sleepy Hollow S1 To 4

Son Of Zorn S1

Star (Lee Daniel’s) S1 To 3

Station 19 S1-S3 S1 To 3

Stitchers S1 To 3

Stumptown S1

Trophy Wife S1

Ugly Betty S1 To 4

Ultimate Survival Wwii S1

What About Brian S1 And 2

When We Rise (8 Eps)

Whispers, The S1

White Collar S1 To 6

Wicked City S1

Witness To Disaster (Fka: Eyewitness) S1

X-Files, The S1 To 11

Young & Hungry S1 To 5

After a week where Australian films (and one Chinese film) locked out American movies from the Australian box office top five, the US produced crime thriller The Little Things is now #1. The Croods: a New Age made it two American flicks by rejoining the top five over the weekend.

However, there is still a strong Aussie contingent with Thr Dry and Penguin Bloom both in the top three films, although their compatriot’s Long Story Short and High Ground slid out of the top five.

Overall, the Australian box office was down 1% after making a total of $4.77m.

#1 The Little Things $1,364,269

The crime thriller features an all-star cast of Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto which drew in an average of $4,943 on 276 screens for the weekend.

#2 The Dry $589,058

The Australian murder mystery continues to edge towards the $20m threshold that is required to move past Strictly Ballroom to join the top 10 locally produced films ever. The film’s total sits at $18.09m

#3 Penguin Bloom $354,473

The second Aussie film in the top five continues to chug along with a total of $6.63m to date. Over the weekend the film averaged $1,125 on 315 screens.

#4 Detective Chinatown 3 $267,018

The Chinese comedy-mystery film has spent another week in the top five after a strong average of $4,377 on 61 screens.

#5 The Croods: A New Age $250,981

The Croods has returned to the top five in its ninth week of release with a total that now resides at $20.81m. Over the weekend it averaged $1,151 on 218 screens.

Primetime News
Seven News 948,000 (6 pm)/910,000 (6:30 pm)
Nine News is 937,000 (6 pm)/910,000 (6:30 pm)
ABC News 691,000
10 News First 311,000(5 pm)/210,000 (6pm)
SBS World News 190,000 (6:30 pm)/143,000 (7 pm)

Daily current affairs
A Current Affair 702,000
7:30 649,000
The Project 271,000 (6:30 pm)/458,000 (7 pm)
The Drum 137,000 

Breakfast TV
Sunrise 265,000
Today 186,000
News Breakfast 168,000

Late Night News
The Latest 135,000
ABC Late News 76,000
World News Late 47,000

Nine has won its 15th night in a row after putting down its tennis racquet and catching its bouquet with the launch of its major 7:30 pm franchise Married at First Sight.

The debut episode of MAFS powered the broadcaster to a 25.2% primary share and a 32.3% network share which was by far the best results for the night.

964,000 tuned in to the first episode that featured a hens party and bucks night before a self-confessed ‘sasshole’ walked down the aisle in one of two weddings. The show was also #1 in all key demos.

“We are thrilled to see Australia once again fall in love with Married At First Sight,” said Nine’s program director Hamish Turner. “The successful Australian Open and now the launch of MAFS has given Nine the best start with Total People and 16-39s in more than a decade and our second best start with people 25-54s. We expect that the audience will again build across both linear TV and 9Now as Australia follows the journey of the experiment’s participants.”  

Despite the strong ratings, this is down on last years result which had 1.154m for the show’s first episode. This is the first time since 2016 that the show was down year on year and the lowest audience since 2018.

Previous launch audiences metro:
2015: 1,143,000
2016: 769,000 (First series that year)
2016: 769,000 (Second series)
2017: 826,000
2018: 914,000
2019: 1,006,000
2020: 1,154,000
2021: 964,000

The post-Australian Open return of A Current Affair had a strong result of 702,000 and featured an interview with Mark “Bomber” Thompson who revealed that the forgiveness of his son was a crucial turning point as he sought to rebuild his life following his drug conviction.

Seven concluded the first season of Holey Moley last night in front of 491,000 viewers, this comes after the show’s launch earlier this month with 983,000.

In the grand final garbo Mark Duncan was crowned Australia’s first Holey Moley champion, bagging $100,000 in prize money.

Greg Norman’s top-secret final hole, The Tomb of Nefer-Tee-Tee, was the final hurdle where Mark would compete against pro-golfer, Montana Strauss and drone-pilot, Jayden Lawson.

Each player had to putt through the sphinx onto the rotating pyramids and then onto the green with a 100-ft shot at a hole-in-one. Trading shots, Montana had three very near misses, Jayden came close on his putts, but in the third round Mark hit an outstanding putt which saw his ball sink the hole and win him the $100,000.

Mark was dazed by his win. “I cannot believe it!” he told Sonia Kruger before sharing the prize money would be spent on his family, a new car and some golf clubs.

Read more: Holey Moley Grand Final: Garbo Mark Duncan wins $100,000

On 10 The Amazing Race Australia 508,000 viewers watched as the teams were taken to Adelaide, the episode was slightly down on last weeks 546,000.

The teams tested their endurance and singing skills, while the two Stowaway teams presented a united front with Adelaide locals MJ and Chelsea winning the First Class Pass. Chris and Aleisha were given a Sabotage, while The Cowboys were given a Salvage in the next leg of the Race.

Beau Ryan with MJ and Chelsea

The Project had 271,000 and 458,000 viewers as the panel discussed the royal commission into the Crown Casino empire, and spoke with Tash Sultanaa.

10 Bold was the #1 multichannel with 4.2% thanks to repeats of NCIS.

ABC’s current affairs line up once again performed strongly led by 7:30 with Laura Tingle reporting on Brittany Higgins which had 649,000 tune in. This was followed by Australian Story (577,000), Four Corners (442,000), and Media Watch (419,000). Afterwards, the fourth episode of The Pacific: In the Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill had 288,000.

On SBS the top rating shows were The Architecture that Railways Built with 148,000 and 24 Hours in Emergency with 144,000.