With the summer of cricket just heating up in Australia, the competition isn’t only on the pitch as Foxtel faces a large number of competition for subscription broadcast rights.

In a trend that started in 2015 when Optus snared the Australian broadcast rights to the EPL (then retained them for $600 million in 2021), Australia’s major sports tournaments are now split across multiple platforms, such as the Australian Rugby Union on Stan Sport, or the A-League on Paramount+.

The arrival of global streaming giants has seen the competition for broadcast rights ramp up significantly. Amazon Prime fired the biggest salvo so far, securing a four-year deal to provide exclusive live broadcast rights in Australia for ICC cricket, making matches available on Prime Video Australia. The deal includes streaming rights in Australia for 448 live games from 2024 to 2027 and does not include an attached free-to-air partner.

The partnership will see Prime Video Australia exclusively stream all men’s and women’s events, including the Men’s and Women’s Cricket World Cups, T20 World Cups, Champions Trophy, U19s and the World Test Championship Final.

Bringing the match broadcasts behind a paywall has sparked criticism of the move from Australia’s peak commercial TV industry body. Writing for Mediaweek, Bridget Fair, chief executive officer of Free TV, said of the deal:

“The Amazon ICC Cricket World Cup deal announced in early December made it abundantly clear that subscription streaming services with deep pockets are coming for the iconic sporting events Australians love, just like they have with the NFL in the US and Premier League in the UK.”

“Without updates to our anti-siphoning rules to bring them into the streaming age, there is a real risk we could lose the free broadcast of big events like the Matildas, so we can expect this debate to continue well into 2024.”

Amazon Prime told Mediaweek: “Prime Video’s focus is on offering Australians content they want to watch, and it’s well known that Aussies love sport. We want to be part of the growing and changing mix of options Australians have to enjoy sports content on their screens”.

See also: Foxtel Group’s Hubbl launch: Binge, Kayo Sports accounts moving to new platform in February

Foxtel’s strategy

With the competition for sports broadcasting rights at an all-time high, how does it impact Foxtel and Fox Sports? 

Mediaweek spoke to Steve Crawley, the managing director of FOX Sports, and Rebecca McCloy, executive director of commercial Sports at Foxtel Group, about the company’s commitment to offering a top-tier sports strategy. 

“We’re a sports business, and always will be,” said Crawley. 

McCloy agreed. “Those things are just business as usual for us, and it’s always disruption, but the one thing that’s consistent with us is that we’re in sport, and we’re in it for the long term. Commitments like the AFL and cricket out to 2031 say that our strategy is sport and we’re not changing. People come and go, everyone comes in and out and changes their strategy, but we don’t. We stay consistent and our subscribers know it.”

“We’ve been clear on our anti-siphoning position and continue to be. Now we’ve got a free first proposition (Kayo Freeibes) and we’ve always said that free is free. We’ve always said that legislation needs to be bought into the 21st century. What we’ve commented on is that we’ve got to be clear about what are our events of national significance. Through our submissions, we’ve been consistent and clear on that. It’s business as usual, this is something that we’ve been talking about for 20-plus years and we continue to talk about.”

Rebecca McCloy

This follows Foxtel’s new broadcast deals including exclusive, multi-year rights extensions with Cricket South Africa, the English Cricket Board and Indian Cricket.

The media company also announced new broadcast innovations and improvements, such as LED Stumps that will be on show exclusively throughout Foxtel’s coverage of the 2023 Men’s Big Bash League season. In addition, Fox Cricket is enhancing AI and AR graphics, player-tracking Spidercam, and advanced ball-tracking technologies across the coverage.

Crawley and McCloy said these innovations are important when differentiating themselves from other broadcasters. 

“We are listening to what the subscribers want, the innovations are a huge part of it as well as the commentary team. If people are paying for a service, you’ve got to deliver for them over and above and having no ad breaks during overs, delivering in 4k, all of those elements come together to give the subscribers what they want. We’ve got to invest heavily and we do,” said McCloy. 

“We don’t want to boast about things until we would see them working, and that they’re real,” said Crawley. “The stumps are real. Brad McNamara from our team and Neil Maxwell have been working with the stumps for a couple of years. They add to the entertainment. When we come up with innovation it is not meant to be part of the judicial system. We always do it from an entertainment reason but the people that run the game ended up using it as well because it is so accurate.”

Steve Crawley

Mastercard and Westpac have joined forces to create Australia’s first-ever pictureless feature-length film using only the power of sound.

The film, ‘TOUCH’, follows a young man who embarks on an epic adventure through his father’s memory after an experiment goes wrong and he gets trapped in his father’s mind.

The aim is to create an inclusive experience that fits within Mastercard’s ongoing strategic focus on sound and sensory branding. It follows the launch of Mastercard’s accessible cards in Australia, which were launched with Westpac. The Mastercard Touch Card features distinct tactile notches to help people who are blind or low-sighted identify and differentiate their credit, debit and prepaid cards. 

The film will premiere at a special event at Westpac OpenAir on 13 February, which will feature an accessible box office experience in collaboration with Humanitix. 

The film was directed by award-winning director Tony Krawitz (‘Into the Night,’ Jewboy,’ ‘The Tall Man’) and features globally recognised talent, including sound editor Wayne Pashley (‘Elvis’, Mad ‘Max: Fury Road,’ ‘The Lego Movie’) and composer Jonathan Dreyfus (‘A Night of Horror,’ ‘Fat Legs,’). 

Mastercard worked with the inclusive filmmaking organisation Bus Stop Films and liaised with people who are blind and low vision, to inform and direct the outcome of the film. 

Julie Nestor, executive vice president of Marketing and Communications, Asia Pacific, Mastercard, said, “Mastercard believes innovation should always be driven by the impulse to include. By leveraging the power of sound, Mastercard is aiming to create an immersive experience transcending visual boundaries and redefining storytelling in cinema.”

Majella Knobel, Westpac head of Access & Inclusion, said, “In addition to the film itself, an important part of this project was making sure the needs of many individuals were considered as part of the end- to-end cinema experience – from accessible amenities to accommodating guide dogs. This is such an important and influential topic, and it’s been wonderful collaborating with Mastercard and OpenAir to ensure a broad diversity of needs have been considered as a common thread throughout the entire conversation.”

Director, Tony Krawitz, described the film as “a one-of-a-kind story that explores a man’s mind, his memories, his tics – all without images.” “The film has been designed for people to enjoy, and to enable people to experience what it’s like not to have your vision to orient you. To make the audienceuse their ears as if they’re detectives, gripped by what’s going to happen next, said Krawitz. 

Ben Phillips, Krawitz’s attachment, an actor from Offspring and aspiring film director, said, “For those like myself who are blind, our appreciation of film often relies heavily upon the audio experience, so when a film’s sound evokes emotion, it can paint a colourful picture in our imagination. Working on TOUCH has allowed me to collaborate creatively on such an inclusive film, unlock opportunities in production, and showcase to Australia how content can be experienced without the limitations of ability or disability.”

Deb Deshayes, CEO of Blind Citizens Australia, which consulted on TOUCH, said, “It’s crucial to have entertainment that not only considers people who are blind or vision impaired but also involves them in the whole development process. To have a film like TOUCH is an important step towards building a more inclusive future that will allow 500,000+ Australians to enjoy content like everyone else. For people who are blind or vision impaired, movies like this and the use of audio description make a huge difference to how we engage with media and socialise with our peers.” 

Sam Kekovich is front and centre once again as Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) unveils the annual summer lamb campaign. 

The latest instalment of the iconic campaign, which is now in its 19th year, doubles down on the generation gaps that divide the nation, skewering Boomers, Zoomers, Millennials and Gen X-ers with lamb serving as the great unifier.

The full-length ad premiered last night (7 January) and will run nationally across TV, online video, catch-up TV, paid social and retail OOH channels. It will also be supported by owned and earned social media activity. 

The ad imagines a world where the different generations have been separated by The Generation Gap: an impassable chasm that keeps each age group away from the others. Left to their own devices, each generation has become the worst version of themselves – until a lamb BBQ appears to bring them all together. 

Graeme Yardy, domestic market manager at Meat and Livestock Australia, said: “Pop culture would have us believe that the generations are practically different species. Apparently, Boomers are unable to master the basics of technology whilst Zoomers spend every waking moment making TikTok dances and Millennials spend too much on avo toast and craft beer.”

“But in reality, there’s far more that unites than separates us, and that’s what this year’s Summer Lamb campaign is all about. Whether it’s a love of our sporting heroes or our beautiful landscapes, the best of Australia always brings us together, and what better way to break down the generational divide than over an epic Aussie lamb BBQ – the ultimate unifier!”

This year’s campaign was created by The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song, UM and One Green Bean. The film was co-directed by Aimée-Lee Xu Hsien and Trent O’Donnell at Rabbit, with post-production by The Editors and music and sound by MassiveMusic. 

Scott Dettrick, creative director at The Monkeys, said: “With growing differences in wealth, opinions, and ways of communication, the generation gap in Australia has never been wider. The various frustrations this year have each generation throwing tropes around, looking for someone to blame. When you scratch beneath the surface though, it’s attitudes, not age, that divide us.”

“Maybe if we just got around a lamb BBQ and had a chat, we might find out that grandad is actually pretty cool, or all that stuff millennials know can be really useful. Our entire creative process this year was a fun generational debate, and with multi-generational directors and editors on the films, it was all very method.”

The first MLA summer lamb campaign was launched in 2005 and was fronted by Sam Kekovich, who delivered a rousing address urging Australians to eat lamb on Australia Day. The campaign, originally created by BMF, has run every year since; however, in recent years, the campaign has dropped the Australia Day focus to embrace the broader summer message. 

Integral Ad Science (IAS) launched its Quality Attention measurement product that unifies media quality and eye tracking with machine learning and predicts if an impression will lead to a business result, including awareness, consideration, and conversion.

The launch comes as the attention metric market heats up following the launch of insight reports from Convo Ink, IAB and most recently DoubleVerify. 

The attention product aims to capture higher attention to drive campaign performance and unlock proven results using advanced machine learning technology, actionable data from Lumen Research’s eye-tracking technology, and a variety of signals obtained as part of IAS’s core technology, including viewability, ad situation, and user interaction, weighing them into a single attention score.

The advanced machine learning model provides global advertisers with a singular view of campaigns’ attention performance, trained based on a pool of data consisting of billions of impressions and millions of conversion events.

IAS will also be the first company to provide consumer attention biometric data sets with media quality metrics to show the most accurate picture of attention for global advertisers.

Yannis Dosios, chief commercial officer of IAS, said Quality Attention’s offering is “purpose-built” for brands and agencies to help them navigate through media clutter and understand media visibility, the ad environment, and customer interaction impact campaign performance.

“According to our research, brands that focus on driving higher IAS attention scores achieve up to a 130% lift in conversion rates leading to a better return on their investment,” Dosios added.

Sanofi, a global healthcare company, has partnered with IAS as they move beyond traditional ways of measuring media performance.

Anna Kechekmadze, global digital media lead at Sanofi CHC, said the company’s partnership with IAS on Quality Attention gives them insight into on the role of attention in reducing ad fatigue, better inventory quality and improving media KPIs.
 
IAS and Lumen Research’s partnership began in 2023 to change the way digital advertising impressions are measured for attention-first advertising. IAS customers will have an even more powerful way to accurately track which ad impressions have captured attention and are likely to yield business results.
 
Mike Follett, CEO at Lumen Research, said the evolution of the research company’s partnership with IAS is providing advertisers a transparent and more accurate picture of attention and providing advertisers with access to robust predictive attention models at scale.
 
In response to the growing attention metrics space, DoubleVerify launched its global quarterly benchmark report last year, highlighting the top-performing verticals for attention and engagement.
 
The report aims to demystify the emerging area of attention metrics and help brands to “better contextualise their ad campaign performance and implement stronger optimisation strategies,” said Daniel Slotwiner, senior vice president of attention of DoubleVerify.
 
The platform’s benchmark aims to highlight the difference in average performance across industries and provide insights into how brands can effectively capture viewer attention and engagement. It also notes how advertisers should compare their campaign attention levels within their own competitive set to better contextualise their performance.
 
See also: Attention metrics take centre-stage as DoubleVerify launches global benchmark report

Sky News Australia has introduced a mix of new shows for its programming lineup for 2024, as it aims to captivate audiences across the nation. The announcement includes a diverse range of programs with new and old faces focusing on political coverage, encompassing both news and opinion.

Among the additions is Steve Price, who joins Sky News with his own show. Sharri Markson’s primetime program is scheduled to move to the 8.00 pm time slot from Monday to Thursday, while Danica De Giorgio will host a new debate program with a live studio audience.

See also: Roundup: MrBeast snubs Elon Musk, Sky News revives the debate, Sam Kerr’s devastating ACL blow

A new politics program, Politics Now, hosted by Tom Connell during Parliamentary sitting weeks, is set to launch that promises an in-depth exploration of political topics during Parliamentary sitting weeks.

Laura Jayes will present a digital conversation series for SkyNews.com.au, complemented by Cheng Lei joining the team and Andrew Clennell taking over as the host of Sunday Agenda.

The network lists that the updated schedule, effective immediately, aims to deliver breaking news, exclusive insights, documentaries, and special investigations through both broadcast and digital platforms.

Paul Whittaker, chief executive officer of Sky News Australia, expressed confidence in the network’s ability, stating, “Our line-up of award-winning journalists and opinion leaders will deliver audiences quality journalism and informed and diverse views on the issues they care about across our growing multi-platform news network.”

Whittaker also highlighted the imminent launch of the SkyNews.com.au Streaming Subscription service, describing 2024 as an “exciting year” for the network’s digital evolution.

The 2024 lineup also features Sky News‘ political team, with Peter Stefanovic hosting First Edition at 5.30am on weekdays, followed by Laura Jayes‘ AM Agenda at 9.00am.

Kieran Gilbert takes the lead at 11.00am with NewsDay live from Parliament House, Canberra, and Tom Connell and Ashleigh Gillon will deliver breaking news and analysis during Afternoon Agenda at 2.00pm.

Ross Greenwood returns to cover business and finance news in Business Now at 4.30pm, while Chris Kenny kicks off the primetime lineup with The Kenny Report at 5.00pm. Peta Credlin, Andrew Bolt, and Sharri Markson will follow.

Grand Designs is back on the TV with its familiar format. While a new spin-off program still tracks renovations, it all feels very, very different. Welcome to Grand Designs Transformations, launching January 4 with eight episodes coming to ABC and iview.

News of the Grand Designs change of channel dropped some time ago, and production house Fremantle has been working for the past year on a “transformed” product as well as new episodes of Grand Designs which will drop later in 2024. The producers and its new home, ABC, have really shaken things up. In addition to the new channel, they have altered its name, secured new hosts and even fiddled with the format.

New name: In addition to new Grand Designs Australia (at a later date), viewers are getting Grand Designs Transformations.

New channel: You no longer need a Foxtel subscription to watch premiere episodes on Lifestyle. The new series can be found on ABC and iview. The format is no stranger to ABC viewers. Still on iview are episodes of the original UK series of Grand Designs alongside spin-offs Grand Designs Revisited, Grand Designs: House of the Year and the other APAC version, Grand Designs New Zealand.

Grand Designs Restoration hosts Yasmine Ghoniem and Anthony Burke

New hosts: Farewell Peter Maddison after a decade of hosting on Lifestyle. Welcome new hosts Anthony Burke and Yasmine Ghoniem. Burke is a professor of architecture at University of Technology Sydney. He is also the host of ABC’s Restoration Australia. Ghoniem is the founder of international design practice YSG which undertakes architectural builds and interior design in residential, commercial and hospitality sectors.

New format: The renovation projects on Grand Designs Transformations are smaller and less ambitious. What’s best though is viewers get two builds in every one of the eight new episodes. They can range from a bathroom makeover to bigger transformations of apartments or an old cottage.

To better understand the new program and what it offers, Mediaweek spoke with Burke.

How will the new Grand Designs format be different?

“Restoration Australia is more about the heritage, Grand Designs is about the big ideas and Transformations is in a much more familiar space,” said Burke.

“One difference is we are doing two houses per episode. We are aiming more for the average viewer who might be sitting on the couch thinking ‘we could renovate, do an extension’ or ‘pop up something out the back’.

“We are finding that even within that scale of work there is plenty of invention and design going on.

“There’s heaps of great little lessons to learn and little tricks for viewers to pick up on.”

Brand name ban

One thing that is different with the format moving to the ABC is the rules are tighter about implied commercial endorsements.

“There can be no sponsorships or product placement. Occasionally a tradie might show up with a brand on their shirt. The ABC is not allowed to promote individual businesses, but just a brand on a shirt might be ok. If they have it on their hat and their shirt and their backpack then we might ask them to change.”

Former Grand Designs Australia host Peter Maddison

Anthony Burke is no Peter Maddison

Burke has come across the previous host of Grand Designs Australia, Peter Maddison, a number of times. Not since Maddison stopped filming his episodes though. “The last time we spoke was just after Peter received his AACTA Award two seasons ago.

“He was a fantastic host and he has created such big shoes for us to try and fill. I wouldn’t compare myself to him because he has done such an amazing job for so long. We need to find a way to do it a little differently because we can’t compete on his terms.”

See also: “It’s about the human story”: Peter Maddison on 10 seasons of Grand Designs Australia

How long ago did filming start?

“We started a year ago. These sort of renovations happen much quicker than Grand Designs or Restoration Australia because the scale is smaller.

“On a Grand Designs house, you might expect a build to last between 18 months and two years from first filming to final scenes.

“With Grand Designs Transformations we are getting through them in about six to 12 months.”

Burke said that one of Yasmine Ghoniem’s houses in this first season only finished the build at the end of 2023. With post-production, the episode will only be completed shortly before the broadcast date. “It will be a really close shave,” he noted.

Grand Designs Transformations in Avalon Beach

Does every renovation project started get finished?

“In my experience, we have never gone part-way through an episode and then had to stop or write it off. However, we have done an initial meet and greet on a couple of occasions and decided it wouldn’t be a good project for the show. If the owners have changed their plans, for example, it might then become a Fremantle decision about whether that episode would be undertaken.

“We do over-program when we are casting. We will cast 12 houses when we need 10. Those extras will then get pushed into another series.”

Burke said there is never any shortage of applicants. “Our casting team have great contacts across the industry too for special projects that architects might alert us about.”

Anthony Burke and Yasmine Ghoniem

Two hosts one show

While both Burke and Ghoniem host separate builds in each episode, they do get some time onscreen together.

“In the middle of each episode, we do an explainer visit to another house or project that might run for five minutes. We have a great chat despite seeing things quite differently. As a designer, she is known for being out there with colours and textures. I am much more the classic architect, something of a modernist. I am looking for light and shadow and form. We bring very different perspectives.”

How often will Burke visit a build?

Fans of the format will know the host can’t be, and doesn’t need to be, on site every week.

“For Grand Designs and Restoration Australia the minimum visit for me is four. On top of that there will be a visit to a factory or something associated with the build.

“For Grand Designs Transformations that becomes more like three visits. Maybe two on-site and one with the homeowner to a supplier. That is because they are smaller and shorter renovations.”

Burke added: “That is just a rule of thumb. There could be more on some projects.”

Yasmine Ghoniem with renovators Karen and Stuart in Grand Designs Transformations

Show me the money: How much did it cost?

For nosey viewers who love the detail, the final budget reveal is a critical piece of the format. Is this something that is contractual with people being profiled on the show?

“Everyone expects to be asked about their budget – before and after. These days maybe over 90% of homeowners have found a comfortable way to talk about money. It can be hard for Australians to talk about money, some more than others. We might help them with the words for that segment.

“Some are reluctant to give a number, and instead give an indicative range. We really try and get to a number.”

As a viewer, does Burke ever look at other renovation/make-over programs and raise an eyebrow when he hears how much is being spent on the work?

Being careful with his reply, Burke replied: “Let’s just say those numbers can be fluid in the hands of others. Luckily there aren’t qualified quantity surveyors to check all the numbers.”

Burke hosting Restoration Australia

Restoration Australia history

The original host of Burke’s other series Restoration Australia was Sibella Court when it was produced by the ABC. The series was then made for the ABC by Fremantle with Stuart Harrison hosting for two seasons and then Anthony Burke took over. He is wrapping his third season of the format now.

With longer builds on Restoration Australia, Burke said there is a record holder for the longest. “The house in Pinnaroo, the former church which was the second episode of the most recent season. The young couple Carolyn and Campbell were working on that for seven years! They were amazing and nothing phased them.”

Restorations Australia: Watch this epic Pinnaroo build on iview: Season 5, episode 2

Anthony Burke renovator

When asked if he was a frequent renovator or if he instead acquires a property not needing work, Burke replied: “I’m a serial fiddler. I have just finished a renovation where I live in the inner west of Sydney. That will keep me happy for another 12 to 24 months. But I’m already looking for what might be my next project. There’s nothing more exciting than having a chat onsite with a builder about your own project.

“I need to do that on the side now as my university work and the TV shows keep me very busy.”

The Subway Socceroos has teamed up with Ogilvy Australia on a brand campaign ahead of the team’s arrival in Doha for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.

The new brand platform, ‘A Different Breed’, follows the Socceroos’ identity cultivated over many generations and how the journey has shaped the current squad. It shows how the Socceroos have inspired a nation and galvanised the football community through their many on-field exploits.

The campaign encapsulates the belief, desire, and spirit of the Subway Socceroos as they begin to write the next chapter in their storied history.

The focal point of the campaign launch is a video featuring the current core of players – Keanu Baccus, Mitchell Duke, Jackson Irvine, Sam Silvera and Harry Souttar – who have been pivotal to the squad’s success, as well as the next generation of talent beginning their national team journey.

The campaign will run across the Subway Socceroos entire FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification campaign, with promos/television commercials, a national presence through OOH and radio; as well as digital ads and digital activations through the official Subway Socceroos and Football Australia social channels.

James Johnson, Football Australia CEO, said ‘A Different Breed’ captures the essence of this Subway Socceroos team and would resonate strongly with fans, old and new.

“The Australian men’s national team is littered with stories of pioneers and champions across the course of history, and their influence on the identity of this team is still evident today.

“Those who have watched on for many years will hold fond memories of moments that this team has left a nation in awe – no more so than the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – and deeply understand what this campaign represents, while for the next generation of fans ‘A Different Breed’ makes immediately clear what this team stands for.

“Arnie and the senior members of his squad have worked tirelessly to build a camaraderie that has become the cornerstone of this group’s success, ‘A Different Breed’ is a way for us to showcase that across what is an important period for the Subway Socceroos,” concluded Johnson.

Subway Socceroos captain, Maty Ryan said ‘A Different Breed’ spoke to the many journeys the squad members had taken to become part of the national team and the things that make us “uniquely Australian”.

“The identity of this team, our values and how we want to play are so important to our success and we felt ‘A Different Breed’ summed those things up perfectly,” he added.

Credits:

Football Australia:
Head of Marketing, Communications & Corporate Affairs: Peter Filopoulos
General Manager – Marketing: Nicole Zosh
Marketing Manager – National Teams: Arith Ranasinghe
Creative Manager: Ryan Ostle
Mid-Weight Designer: Ryan Chau
Executive Producer: Richard McBurnie

Agency:
Creative Agency: Ogilvy Australia

Foxtel has started sharing launch details of its new home of streaming – Hubbl. Customers of Binge and Kayo Sports have started receiving communications about their streaming accounts.

The messaging to customers confirms that the launch of Hubbl is just over one month away.

An email this week to customers said:

Your current Binge My Account will transition to a Hubbl My Account. This is where you can manage your subscriptions from 14 February 2024.

Please note: your username and password will remain the same.

Currently, Binge is operated by Streamotion. As part of this update, Streamotion is changing its name to Hubbl. You will see this change reflected in your subscription billing, emails and text messages you receive from us.

The Foxtel Group is holding a formal launch event on February 21.

The Hubbl Glass TV – how much will it cost and what size screens will be available?

Hubbl puck and Hubbl Glass

When the Hubbl brand was revealed in October 2023, the Foxtel Group said the puck would be a small device that plugs into any compatible TV.

A second piece of hardware to be marketed under the brand will be Hubbl Glass. Foxtel calls the Hubbl Glass “a world-class TV with Hubbl and a high-quality built-in sound bar that only requires an internet connection and a power cord, no other wires”.

When revealing the new brand last October, Patrick Delany, CEO, Hubbl and Foxtel Group, explained: “We all love the explosion of choice that streaming has delivered us over the past few years. But there is no doubt we are all experiencing the same frustrations: having to go in and out of apps, keeping track of show recommendations. Remembering what we started but did not finish watching, and who in the family is paying for what. Hubbl solves these frustrations.

“Hubbl is the next quantum leap in entertainment technology. It is the solution to a complex Australian streaming landscape caused by the fabulous explosion of choice in streaming services available to Australians.”

Delany continued: “Hubbl is like nothing in the market – ‘it is TV and streaming made easy’ – seamlessly integrating world-leading technology with a purpose-built design and unrivalled app integration that sets it well ahead of the curve.

“It has been built with Australian consumers in mind, effortlessly fusing free and paid entertainment and sport from apps, channels and the internet into one seamless user experience. All are delivered via Hubbl Hub or a world-leading TV, Hubbl Glass. It will deliver a frictionless paid and free entertainment environment, and we believe will become the heart of the home for millions of Australians.”

Within the Foxtel Group, Hubbl was previously branded Project Magneto. Talking to Mediaweek mid-year about its development, Patrick Delany explained:

“This will be a separate unit to Foxtel and it is a platform to aggregate streaming. It will be important for Australian media businesses. We have the jewels in the Australian content crown in Binge and Kayo which form a good hub around which to aggregate. We are in some very constructive conversations with our colleagues in free-to-air to bring them along with us, to unite as an Australian broadcasting industry to make sure we’re not left behind is important.

“At the same time, there is a demand from all of our international partners that stream who say they’d like to be on a platform like that where discounts are offered. [For consumers], discounts would be offered for the more content they took.”

Is the time for Hubbl now?

Earlier this month, Hubbl released research findings that on average Australians are spending 60.5 days per year in front of the television.

The research reported: “The survey of more than 1,000 Australians found that from these 60 days, almost 23 days per year were spent simply searching for something to watch next – implying a frustrating entertainment experience as Australians navigate the complex streaming landscape.”

Executive director of Hubbl, Dani Simpson, said: “We’re currently wasting just over 22 days per year searching for what’s next. That’s a lot of time spent hopping in and out of different apps, trying to figure out where a specific show is streaming or a must-watch sports documentary.

“Hubbl is the solution to these challenges and why we’re excited to bring this new entertainment experience to millions of Australians. We can help you find your next TV obsession more quickly so you can get back to what you love most – being entertained.”

Foxtel Group’s streaming numbers

As of September 30, 2023, these are the numbers of Binge and Kayo Sports’ customers as reported by News Corp. (An update on the numbers as of December 31, 2023 will be available in early February.)

• Kayo Sports reached 1.411 million subscribers (1.403 million paid), up 11% YOY
• Binge reached 1.506 million subscribers (1.449 million paid), up 4% YOY

Foxtel Group will soon be releasing full details of its Hubbl content partners, both free and paid-for, plus pricing for the Hubbl puck and Hubbl Glass.

See also:
Kaboom: Foxtel Media Upfront announcements destined to shake-up TV sector

Foxtel Upfront 2024 introduces Hubbl

Global media giants Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount Global in merger talks

Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav met with Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish on Tuesday in New York City to discuss a possible merger, US news site Axios has reported.

Media reporter Sara Fischer said: WBD’s market value was around US$29 billion as of Wednesday, while Paramount’s was just over US$10 billion, so any merger would not be of equals.

[Read more]

A merger would help both companies compete with streaming platforms Netflix and Disney+, reports The Telegraph (republished in The SMH). Both companies’ existing streaming platforms, Paramount+ and Max, have so far struggled to make serious ground against competitors.

[Read more]

How The Wall Street Journal reported merger talks on its front page

Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount Global are likely to be “worse off” together as a merger will leave them billions deeper in debt and saddled with dying traditional television assets, Wall Street analysts said on Thursday, reports Reuters.

Shares of both companies extended losses after dropping sharply a day earlier on news that their CEOs had met to discuss a potential deal.

The merger would create what analysts said would be the largest movie studio in Hollywood and a streaming business with the third-highest US subscribers. The firms together would also account for up to 40% of total time viewed on traditional TV.

[Read more]

Warner Bros Discovery-Paramount merger impact in Australia

The ramifications of a merger between the two companies would be significant in Australia. A likely consequence would be the global merger of the streaming platforms Max and Paramount+. Max has not yet launched in Australia, but it was anticipated it could have been a new player in the market here during 2025.

Paramount+ bills itself as Australia’s fastest-growing streaming platform, with Telsyte reporting it had 1.5m subscribers as at June 30, 2023. Back then it ranked equal fifth in terms of most subscribers, sitting alongside Binge.

See also: Telsyte streaming report – Paramount+ fastest growing, Netflix reports first YOY drop

A key ingredient to the Max content library is HBO content. As to the possible launch of Max in Australia, Mediaweek reported earlier this year: “With Foxtel securing HBO content until 2025, there is no prospect of Max launching in Australia before then.”

When asked mid-year by Mediaweek about Max launching locally, managing director and head of studios for Warner Bros Discovery ANZ, Michael Brooks said: “There is no specific timeline for the market launch [of Max] in Australia however it is not in our plans for 2024.”

Michael Brooks

See also: Warner Bros. Discovery on local production plans and possible Max launch date

A merger of the companies could see Max replace Paramount+, with feature content from the pipelines of both studio groups making it a serious competitor to other bigger local players Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Stan.

If Warner Bros Discovery took control of Network 10 it would mean 10 has access to the local production powerhouse Warner Bros. International Television Productions (WBITP). The production business already has strong links with 10, making The Bachelor, The Masked Singer and Betoota Advocate.

FBoy Island is a local production made for Binge

WBITP also has links with Foxtel where it supplies the programs Love Me, The Twelve, FBoy Island and Selling Houses Australia.

There could also be a chance that Foxtel could keep some or all of the HBO content if Max and Paramount+ came together.

Why Is Shari Redstone, ruler of a vast media kingdom, weighing a sale?

Shari Redstone is weighing a sale of her family’s controlling interest in Paramount’s parent company just five years after she won a fight to retain control of her family’s media empire, reports The New York Times.

Paramount was once so mighty that people in Hollywood referred to it by the nickname “the Mountain,” a reference to its logo of a snow-capped peak encircled by stars.

But these days, the company is more of a melting iceberg.

Paramount+ has a 6 percent share of the revenue market, while Netflix has 47 percent and Disney’s streaming services have a combined 23 percent.

[Read more]

Southern Cross Media Group (SCA) have announced that they’ve extended their deal with Network 10 to broadcast channels 10, 10 Bold, 10 Peach and Nickelodeon in the three regional areas.

The affiliation means that the channels will continue to be broadcast in three aggregated television markets of regional Queensland, Southern NSW, and regional Victoria.

The extension builds on the constructive and collaborative relationship which commenced with SCA broadcasting Network 10 programming in these markets on 1 July 202, which was when Southern Cross Media Group first commenced broadcasting Network 10 programming in these regional markets The previous agreement was in place until 31 December 2023. 

The agreement will see SCA continue to broadcast popular Network 10 programs like MasterChef Australia, Have You Been Paying Attention?, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, Australian Survivor, The Masked Singer Australia, Hunted Australia, The Cheap Seats, The Project, the return of Gladiators and Deal or No Deal, plus key sports events including the Formula 1® Rolex Australian Grand Prix, and live NBL and A-League games. 

Jarrod Villani, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating & Commercial Officer & Regional Lead, Paramount Australia and New Zealand, said: “Network 10 looks forward to continuing our affiliate relationship with SCA across critical regional markets ensuring that our extraordinary line up of entertainment, news and sport continues to reach households across Australia whilst creating unique and exciting opportunities for our advertising clients.” 

John Kelly, SCA Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to reach this new affiliation agreement with Network 10, which will realise improved outcomes for both parties and an aligned advertising solution for regional advertisers. We are confident in Network 10’s 2024 content schedule and we look forward to promoting 10’s suite of premium programming in regional Australia to deliver outstanding results for advertisers and reliable returns for SCA’s shareholders.” 

The Best TV of 2023 is the name of two TV Gold year-in-review episodes now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

Listen to TV Gold here. Please follow the podcast for automatic updates.

Choose your podcast platform

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Apple Podcasts

TV Gold’s Best TV of 2023

TV Gold Year in Review Part 1: Best Australian series

There were so many great TV shows this year we have recorded two episodes listing them all. Joining Andrew Mercado and James Manning in both these episodes is TV Tonight founder David Knox. There is a list of over 20 shows we all enjoyed including The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (Prime), Scrublands (Stan), Bay of Fires (ABC iview) and While the Men Are Away (SBS On Demand).

Don’t miss the other TV Gold Year in Review podcast episode which covers International TV.

TV Gold Year in Review Part 2: Best International series and Documentaries

There were so many great TV shows this year we have recorded two episodes listing them all. Joining Andrew Mercado and James Manning in both these episodes is TV Tonight founder David Knox. There is a comprehensive selection of over 40 international dramas, comedies and documentaries to choose from if you are catching up on the best of 2023. Those series include Stonehouse (Britbox), Beef (Netflix), The Sixth Commandment (Binge), The Long Shadow (Stan) and The Last of Us (Binge).

C*A*U*G*H*T (Stan)

Best TV of 2023: The Lists

Andrew Mercado

Mercado’s full list is too long to list here. Luckily we have already published the complete list here.

The Mediaweek columnist and TV historian tracks Australian drama closely and this is his list of the best from 2023:

C*A*U*G*H*T (Stan) was the wildest and most original series of the year. Written and directed by actor Kick Gurry, an incredible Aussie cast assembled alongside A-list talent like Sean Penn playing Sean Penn, and Susan Sarandon as the US President.

Mercado highly recommends:

The Newsreader Series 2 (iview)
Australian Epic (iview)
The Artful Dodger (Disney+)
Colin From Accounts (Binge)
Scrublands (Stan)
Neighbours (10)
RFDS Series 2 (Seven)
In Our Blood (iview)
Love Me Series 2 (Binge)
Ten Pound Poms (Stan)

David Knox

TV Gold’s special guest on both of the Best TV of 2023 episodes was TV Tonight’s David Knox.

He had a much shorter list of the year’s best. Leading Knox’s Top 5 for 2023 was:

The Sixth Commandment, BBC First.
This four-part UK drama centred around the Maids Moreton Murders, a case that gripped the UK in 2015 when retired, lonely English teacher Peter Farquhar (Timothy Spall) was courted by a strapping, charismatic young student, Ben Field (Éanna Hardwicke). At once a tale of romance, deception and tragedy, it was also a masterclass in acting from Spall and Hardwicke. They were simply mesmerising on screen, as was Anne Reid as spinster Ann, whose world of tea and scones and quiet retirement was also thrown asunder by the devious Hardwicke. A special mention goes to Conor MacNeill in the difficult role of Hardwicke’s accomplice, Martyn. If you Google the victims and the actors, the casting dept is to be congratulated for the uncanny likeness. Riveting.

Read the rest of the TV Tonight Top 5 here.

TV Tonight readers are also being asked to choose their favourites in the TV Tonight Awards 2023 here.

James Manning

I detail the reasons for my Best of 2023 TV list on the two TV Gold podcast episodes.

Here is my list of those best series:

Australian series

Scrublands (Stan)
One Night (Paramount+)
Last King of the Cross (Paramount+)
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (Prime Video)
The Appleton Ladies Potato Race (10/Paramount+)
No Escape (Paramount+)*
Far North (Paramount+)*
While the Men Are Away (SBS)
Black Snow (Stan)
Bay of Fires (ABC)

Not strictly Australian series!

Daisy Jones and the Six (Prime Video)

International series

Stonehouse (Britbox)
Daisy Jones & The Six (Prime Video)
Beef (Netflix)
Dead Ringers (Prime Video)
The Diplomat (Netflix)
Lioness: Special Ops (Paramount+)
The Sixth Commandment (Binge/Foxtel)
The Long Shadow (Stan)
The Last of Us (Binge)
Lessons in Chemistry (AppleTV+)
Archie (Britbox)
The Hunt for Raoul Moat (Britbox)

Documentaries

John Farnham: Finding the Voice (Seven)
Beckham (Netflix)
Love to Love You, Donna Summer (Binge/Foxtel)
Stock Aitken Waterman (SBS)
The Supermodels (AppleTV+)
Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles (Prime Video)
The Last Daughter (Netflix)

Returning series worthy of a mention

Morning Wars (AppleTV+), Billions (Stan), Vigil (Binge/Foxtel), Succession (Binge/Foxtel), Time (Binge/Foxtel), The Crown (Netflix), The Newsreader (iview), The Bear (Disney+), Hotel Portofino (Binge/Foxtel)

• Strictly Ballroom a winner for ABC
• Brisbane Heat take on Hobart in Big Bash 

Overnight TV Ratings, January 7

Share summary

Seven won Sunday night with a primary share of 20.1% and a network share of 33.6%.

7Mate has won multi-channels with a 5.3% share.

Nine received a primary share of 18.5% and a network share of 28.1%.

10 took an 8.1% primary share and a network share of 14.4%.

Seven

314,000 saw a night of cricket with Seven’s Big Bash. The Heat challenge the Hurricanes at the Gabba. Brisbane beat Hobart by one run, meaning the Heat are now assured a Finals spot. 201,000 also watched the Post-Match.

Nine

240,000 watched Nine’s Day 10 of the United Cup at the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney. Poland and Germany went head-to-head in the Final with Germany ultimately beating the opposition for the win. 132,000 caught the later sets.

10

On 10, 141,000 began their evening with The Graham Norton Show where Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Claudia Winkleman and Rob Brydon joined Graham Norton on the couch.

190,000 viewers also tuned in to The Lost City starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. While on tour promoting her book with her cover model, romance novelist Loretta (Bullock) is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire who hopes she can lead him to a fictional ancient city’s lost treasure. 

ABC

217,000 watched a repeat of Aussie flick Strictly Ballroom on ABC. When 21-year-old ballroom champion Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio) commits the cardinal sin of dancing his own steps and not those of the all-powerful Dance Federation, the retribution is swift.

SBS

Over on SBS, 106,000 tuned in to see Asia’s Ancient Civilisations.

Total TV Ratings, December 31

2,065,000 viewed ABC’s Midnight Fireworks, up 19%.

1,379,000 also watched ABC’s Countdown to Midnight, up 12%.

836,000 tuned in to ABC’s Concert from Sydney Harbour, up 12%.