With virtual events still ticking the box for time poor executives and those with Covid concerns, Foxtel has held its Foxtel showcase which also featured a range of new digitally-enabled client offerings.

The Foxtel showcase opened with Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany spending time with AFL chief executive Gil McLachlan. Foxtel Media CEO Mark Frain closed proceedings with some frank comments about TV that should have grabbed the attention of anyone who’s interest may have wandered.

In the middle were appearances from a range of Foxtel executives spruiking content and sales opportunities.

Delany started with a mention of the audience boom at Sky News Australia before he noted the breadth of the news offering and how others like BBC, CNN, CBNC, Al Jazeera, Sky News UK and Bloomberg all also had good audience growth across 2020.

In segueing to the football season, Delany also welcomed netball to the platform.

With the AFL just a fortnight away, McLachlan recalled the challenges of Covid and how grim the outlook was for the 2020 season just 12 months ago. McLachlan said the future was much brighter this year: “I am very bullish about 2021 and I feel the season will be very strong this year.”

Foxtel Media’s sales and brand partnerships director Marty Medcraf was next in a Foxtel showcase fireside chat with Toyota’s CMO John Pappas. The executive of the biggest selling motoring brand in Australia started by celebrating the 20-year relationship Toyota has with Foxtel.

Foxtel’s chief commercial and content officer Amanda Laing was next talking about the range of content on offer, a selection of shows that she has helped reshape over the past 18 months as she renegotiated studio deals. “We continue to offer an incredible slate of entertainment content,” said Laing. “And it’s all in the one place.”

The highlight reel featured some shows already screening, others with new seasons about to start, and some new to the platform including the HBO comedy White Lotus and the HBO drama Mare of Easttown. Laing also detailed some of the success the platform has had with TV marathons and pop-up movie channel stunts. Some programming highlights shortly include Motor Month on Discovery and a dedicated E! pop-up channel offering every episode ever of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Laing then moved onto what she called the “jewel in the crown” – Foxtel Originals. To help spread the news about new commissions for Foxtel was Lifestyle’s group GM Wendy Moore. Her group of channels is about to share the Great Australian Lifestyle multi-methodology research project with commercial partners.

Lifestyle’s jewel in the crown is its Australian home shows including Selling Houses, Australia, Grand Designs Australia and Love It or List It Australia, all coming soon with new episodes.

Moore also revealed a new commission, a Selling Houses spin-off Selling in the City. It will feature three as-yet unnamed experts in their field.

Another new Australian commission from Lifestyle is The Repair Shop Australia. Also coming soon is the long-anticipated Scott Pape series.

See also: Foxtel announces its biggest slate of local LifeStyle content

Foxtel executive director Brian Walsh then conducted an interview with Greg Berlanti, the most prolific producer at work in the US. He was reluctant to detail all the shows he’s working on, but Walsh got him to admit there are about 15 in production at present. They discussed everything from his work on Dawson’s Creek to his current slate including the new hit series Superman and Lois.

Foxtel Media CEO Mark Frain finished off the Foxtel showcase with the longest presentation and the one with the most information for advertisers.

He said the group had bounced back strongly post-Covid and reinforced that Foxtel Media represents six brands – Foxtel, Binge, Kayo, Foxtel Go, Tubi and Samsung Ads. Frain detailed how their customers spend 40% more than TV viewers elsewhere and reminded advertisers about the strength of the BVOD offering – “We are the #1 player in this growing market.”

He also spoke frankly about the future of live television in a way few dare to. “As we stare down the barrel of the gradual decline of linear audiences, we believe it is how you respond as a business that counts.

“We envisage a future where linear audiences decline and it doesn’t bother us.

“Am I worried? Slightly, but it doesn’t keep me up at night. Our strategy is working and delivering. How many of our competitors can say the same?

“How many have a genuine clear view of the role of advertising in a viewer-controlled on-demand world and are building products to thrive?”

See also: Foxtel Media looks to the future with new digitally-enabled client offerings

Frain warned that some broadcasters aren’t helping the industry with their on-demand offerings. “Some are running up to 40 ads an hour, sometimes about 16 minutes of that hour.

“We run the risk of damaging the future before we get there.”

The showcase ended with Frain intruding a sneak peek of the US drama coming in mid-April, Mare of Easttown.

Foxtel Media has announced four new offerings to provide advertisers expertise in more targeted, dynamic media delivery as part of a realignment towards digital.

The reveal was made at a content showcase this morning that featured Foxtel Media’s Mark Frain, Marty Medcraf and also Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany.

The new offerings are Foxtel Xplore Audience targeting on Kayo, addressable audience targeting on Foxtel Go, the ability to target in-venue viewers on Fox Venues, and a new Dynamic Trading Platform.

Frain commented: “The Foxtel Media team are charging towards our future – one where premium audiences meet quality content. Where greater engagement drives savvy investment based on superior data. The advances we are announcing today reflect both Foxtel’s transformational business strategy over the past few years, and significant investment across our technology stack to bring better experiences to audiences and advertisers,” he said.

See also: Mark Frain claims FTA broadcasters damaging the TV experience with their on-demand

Foxtel Xplore on Kayo offers media agencies the ability to plan against advanced targeting segments using Foxtel data, matched with agencies’ own first-party data. It is ready for campaign activation today, enabling advertisers to reach Kayo’s 624,000 subscribers.

Addressable Go, an enhancement to Foxtel Go, allows for digital ads to be inserted into the live streaming service, opening up extra access to premium live shows. Go, the IP linear product, attracts 60% of total live commercial BVOD minutes viewed across the Foxtel network.

Fox Venues now offers advertisers a separate ad feed beaming directly into the 3,850 pubs and clubs across Australia where AFL and NRL fans gather to enjoy the game.

Rounding out the new offerings is a new Dynamic Trading platform, based on an AI Decision Engine. The platform optimises client campaigns to reach highly targeted audiences within the best content. Foxtel Media has pioneered automation and certainty in TV buying, and this platform has been developed to put the trading part of Foxtel Media’s business directly into the hands of agencies, with more accurate forecasts, greater certainty, and ultimately, more control.

Frain added: “Our partners and clients can have confidence in our strategy, because it’s working already, as proven by the success of Kayo and Binge, and the new products we’ve shared today in Xplore Audiences, Addressable Go and Fox Venues.”

Foxtel has announced its biggest slate of local LifeStyle content, with a schedule of upcoming programs and a line-up of new and returning locally commissioned series going into production.

The coming months will see the return to air of many of LifeStyle’s locally produced series, including Grand Designs Australia, Love It or List It Australia, and another season of Gogglebox Australia, as well as the premiere of the documentary series from the Barefoot Investor, Scott Pape’s Money Movement.

LifeStyle’s local content offering will be further expanded with a number of additional local commissions commencing production this year, including new formats Selling In The City and The Repair Shop; the next chapter in Foxtel’s Find Me… series, Find My Dream Home; and the return of Foxtel’s highest rating local production, Selling Houses Australia.

Wendy Moore (pictured), group general manager, LifeStyle, said: “We know just how important our returning shows are to our audience, and understand they want more of what they already love, not less.  So, over the next year, we will see the return of so many LifeStyle favourites.

“However, the time is right to increase our investment in the lifestyle space and I am excited to announce we are currently in pre-production on a number of new Foxtel Originals, including a brand new addition to the Selling Houses franchise, Selling In The City, as well as The Repair Shop, a heart-warming format that has been a runaway success in the UK,” she said.

LifeStyle’s upcoming programming slate will kick off on March 31 with a ninth season of Grand Designs Australia, hosted by multi award-winning architect Peter Maddison.

On April 28, the three-part special Scott Pape’s Money Movement premieres. This series follows Scott Pape as he launches his Money Movement program, pleads his case to the government, and uncovers the business behind the current financial education kids are getting.

Other LifeStyle shows returning to screens in 2021 include a fourth season of Love It or List It Australia with Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker, and a 14th season of Gogglebox Australia.

Heading into production this month is Find My Dream Home hosted by Deborah Hutton.  Each episode takes viewers on a tour across Australia in search of three properties within a specific theme, each at a different price point.  

Production will also commence shortly on a refreshed 14th season of Selling Houses Australia, with new production partner Warner Bros International Television Production (WBITVP) at the helm.  Also from WBITVP, two new formats – Selling In The City and The Repair Shop.

A spin off from Selling Houses, Selling In The City is a younger, more millennial skewed brand, with a focus on getting into, and moving up, the property ladder.  The series will feature design, solutions for small spaces, and ways to get the most out of a small, urban property. 

The Repair Shop is an antidote to throwaway culture, shining a light on the family treasures found in Aussie homes across the country.  Each episode follows a team of craftspeople who rescue damaged objects – from heirlooms to prized antiques to a loved one’s treasured possession – and restore them to their former glory.

Further announcements regarding production on these series will be made in the coming months.

The Daily Telegraph has released their annual Power 100, a list of Sydney’s most powerful people, including media figures.

This year, News Corp took out the top three most influential media positions, culminating in News Corp executive chairman, Michael Miller, coming in at eighth. Interestingly, Sky News CEO Paul Whittaker placed one spot higher than Foxtel CEO Patrick Delaney, despite Sky News operating within Foxtel.

Sydney’s king of FM radio, Kyle Sandilands, dropped 17 places in the ranking to come in at 84 as part of a ‘power couple’ with John Ibrahim. His on-air partner, Jackie O was left off the list altogether.

On AM radio, last year Alan Jones, Ben Fordham, and Ray Hadley all tied for tenth. This year Fordham and Hadley are still tied, however, Jones has dropped significantly after his retirement from radio.

On screen, one of the biggest jumps this year was for Sonia Kruger who has come in at 38. She makes it a full 57 places above former Nine colleague, Karl Stefanovic.

The full list can be seen here.

Karl and Jasmine Stefanovic – 95 (down 12)

Despite sliding down the list 12 places, Karl and Jasmine Stefanovic are still one of the most talked about couples in the country. In amongst Karl’s work on The Today Show, the couple welcomed their baby girl Harper last year.

Kyle Sandilands – 84 (down 17)

One part of Sydney’s iconic Kyle and Jackie O Show (with the latter not even making the top 100), FM king Kyle Sandilands has tied with his friend and former nightclub owner John Ibrahim for 84th place.

Mark Latham – 81 (up 13)

Despite no longer fronting Sky News’ Outsiders program, the former opposition leader still makes a number of appearances on Sky News.

Alan Jones – 46 (down 36)

Ranking tenth last year, the iconic broadcaster has since hung up his headphones. The fact that he still comes in the top 50 proves just how influential Alan Jones was and continues to be in the Australian media landscape.

Ita Buttrose – 39 (down 13)

The ABC chair has dropped 13 places this year, in part due to an end-of-year speech where she described commercial news organisations as “skewed”. 

Sonia Kruger – 38 (up 42)

In one of the biggest jumps on the list, Sonia Kruger has risen 42 places to land at number 38. This comes after Kruger fronts at least three back-to-back prime time shows – Holey Moley, The Voice, and Big Brother.

Judith Nielson – 33 (up 22)

Philanthropic billionaire Judith Nielson has risen 22 places for her work in keeping Australian journalism afloat through the Covid-19 pandemic.

James Warburton and Ryan Stokes – 31 (up 32)

The Seven Network executives land on the list for pulling Seven out of decline, with Stokes also picking up a spot on the Queen’s Honours List.

Denis Handlin – 26 (down 12)

Sony Music Entertainment Australia and News Zealand’s CEO has dipped down 12 places, but still makes the top 30.

Ben Fordham and Ray Hadley – 24 (down 14)

Tying for the tenth position next to Alan Jones last year, Ben Fordham and Ray Hadley have dominated their respective 2GB slots. Ben Fordham stepping into the breakfast position was a gamble for the station, but he kept the show’s number one position in the Sydney market.

Patrick Delaney – 21 (up 17)

Foxtel’s chief executive has renegotiated deals for the network and Kayo, including securing rights to major football codes and cricket.

Paul Whittaker – 20 (up 19)

Just edging out Patrick Delaney to crack the top 20, the Sky News CEO has risen 19 places due to their efforts in informing Australians about the Covid-19 pandemic.

Michael Miller – 8 (no change)

The News Corp executive chairman keeps his eighth position from last year, despite working through a challenging 2020.

ACM is set to launch a new national travel website on March 7, which is designed to help Australians navigate the post-pandemic holiday market.

The launch will be backed by a national print and digital advertising campaign, designed to promote regional travel to ACM’s 6.9 million monthly readers.

ACM launched Explore in print in early 2020 as a weekly insert for its 14 daily newspapers with the help of the ACM travel editor, Peter Lynch who is the former editor of Nine Entertainment Group’s travel publishing assets including the Traveller weekend inserts in The Age & SMH.

Lynch said: “Explore in print has been a big hit with readers and advertisers alike and we’ve seen solid growth in both, which is a testament to the power of the ACM network even with a pandemic hovering over us. Launching a dedicate website is the natural next step as we look to create a destination site for Aussie travellers.”

The move will give the Explore brand a potential reach of over 4.6 million readers across 150 titles.

Designed with an emphasis on holidays at home while COVID-19 continues to make trips overseas difficult, Lynch continued “Domestic planes are back in the air, and there are some fabulous bargains and great experiences to be had while our tourist spots are available exclusively to us. So now is a great time to make navigating Australian travel easy, safe and fun,”

“The pandemic means people are viewing travel in a very different way. They are desperate to take trips and see new things – working from home has made them even more keen to see Australia. But they want practical help to de-risk travel bookings and prepare for when they can again go overseas.”

“We know many of the areas in which ACM operate have been doing it tough with a combination of drought, floods, bushfires and then COVID-19, so we’ve focussed on regional Australian destinations with the hopes to help re-generate these areas and bring people back.”

ACM’s Managing Director, Tony Kendall said: “We couldn’t be happier to be launching this new website to do our bit to help get the travel industry back on its feet. “

“For our travel clients, the ability to now combine Explore in print with our new exploretravel.com.au website presents a great opportunity to reach over 4 million potential travellers. We have highly trusted brands and a commitment to helping our clients reach our travel audiences across a variety of media channel options.”

“Ahoy Hamish”, “Ahoy Andy” said the hosts of the Hamish & Andy podcast as it returned for 2021 this week. After a three-month “enforced layover”, Hamish told listeners on their first podcast for the new year – “It’s great to be unmuzzled”.

Australia’s most successful podcasters Hamish Blake and Andy Lee have a new sponsor too – SCA’s rebranded podcast platform and on-demand app LiSTNR.

Joining them as always is long-time radio-turned-podcast colleague Jack Post. And from right at the top of the new Hamish & Andy podcast, the now radio star in his own right was under pressure. He was questioned about trying to organise free roof racks for himself or his radio station Gold from a store run by Andy’s brother-in-law and sister. (A claim Jack denies.)

The first episode of the fourth season of the Hamish & Andy podcast had an update on the second printing of the sold-out Hamish & Andy Power Moves book.

Head of the Hamish & Andy merchandise division Horgs was on the show to explain what is happening with the new edition. “It will not be available until June,” he told the disappointed hosts and potential customers. As to why, he noted the book is printed in China and there is a waitlist at the printing plant.

Horgs also had to take a customer service call from a listener who only just received the book she was hoping to get for Christmas. The book was such a success it took some time to process all the orders, said Horgs, also pointing out that Australia Post delays didn’t help. He said a few complaints weren’t too much to worry about after sending out 30,000 copies to a largely satisfied customer base.

Hamish & Andy admitted the second print run might cost $1 extra and will be clearly embossed “second edition” on the cover in an effort to keep the first print run more collectible. The handsome-looking volume can be found in the H&A Shop online. However the only item currently in that store is currently “out of stock”.

The listener with a special skill on the first Hamish & Andy podcast show back was able to guess the type of an electric hand tool just by listening to the noise it makes. Fernando didn’t get them all correct, but it was nonetheless an impressive display.

See also: This week’s edition of Podcast Week
Fool Scott Phillips, Decade of 2 Blokes, Brooke & Linda’s Dream Club
Podcast faves from mums Cath and Sarah, Squiz Sport, Vogue snares Jesinta Franklin

During the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras telecast (Mercado on TV recommended viewing Saturday on SBS and NITV), all the contestants for RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under (soon on Stan) will be revealed. This comes after news the much-awaited show will be hosted by RuPaul, Michelle Visage and Aussie comedian Rhys Nicholson.

With RuPaul so busy taking over the world, it’s good that she and Michelle Visage have found time to do the Aussie version. When they aren’t there, like on Canada’s Drag Race, it’s a disaster. But when they are there, like RuPaul’s Drag Race (season 13) and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK (season 2) both now airing on Stan, sometimes it’s overkill. Mercado on TV says: one version at a time, please.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under will be easy to find on Stan because they clearly house their LGBTQI content under that title. SBS On Demand currently has “Courtney Act Guest Curates” and Foxtel labels its library as “Fierce and Fabulous”. Soon to be added to that list is another explicit teen drama about sexuality and identity.

Gener+ion (Thursday on Binge and Foxtel), made for HBO Max with input from executive producer Lena Dunham, is not as dark as HBO’s Euphoria (Foxtel) but not quite as fun as Sex Education (Netflix). What it does do right is covering the same situations from three different characters’ perspectives.

Also from Foxtel, The Lady and the Dale (Binge and Foxtel) is about Elizabeth Carmichael, an entrepreneur who tried to revolutionise the car industry in the 70s. Like most HBO doco-series, however, there is much more going on than just inventing a three-wheel car.

Elizabeth Carmichael was actually a criminal mastermind who was born as Jerry Michael. Falsely accused of creating a female identity to evade arrest, she was actually a ground-breaking trans woman who kept her family, including a supportive wife and five kids, together at all costs.

There are more complicated family situations on Shortland Street (SBS Viceland) which currently has a lesbian couple whose mothers have also just started a same-sex relationship. Plus, there’s a polyamorous ambo whose lover had sex with another man just to prove to her that he wasn’t “vanilla”. New Zealand clearly has more fun with a 7pm timeslot than Home & Away does.

The moving drama It’s A Sin (Stan) has become Channel 4’s most successful drama of all time. Not only has it broken streaming records, but the haunting five-part series about AIDS has also led to a massive rise in HIV testing, even in the middle of a UK lockdown. It’s A Sin is a must-see and must-do.

The wildest LGBTQ drama, however, is Veneno, made for Spanish TV and screening on HBO Max. Foxtel does not have the rights to screen it, but hopefully they or someone else grabs it soon. Veneno and It’s A Sin are not just the best LGBTQI series of the year, they are the best dramas of the year too. Happy Mardi Gras.

Read more Mercado on TV here.

Primetime News
Seven News 847,000 (6 pm)/847,000 (6:30 pm)
Nine News is 836,000 (6 pm)/807,000 (6:30 pm)
ABC News 623,000
10 News First 323,000(5 pm)/173,000 (6pm)
SBS World News 155,000 (6:30 pm)/119,000 (7 pm)

Daily current affairs
A Current Affair 649,000
7:30 556,000
The Project 225,000 (6:30 pm)/ 383,000 (7 pm)
The Drum 145,000 

Breakfast TV
Sunrise 255,000
News Breakfast 184,000
Today 199,000

Late Night News
ABC Late News 118,000
Nine News Late Edition 119,000
SBS World News Late 47,000
The Latest 102,000

Nine

For the first time in over three weeks, Nine did not have the top primary share last night after it swapped out Married at First Sight for Taronga: Who’s Who in the Zoo which brought in 177,000. 

This was followed by the action series The Equalizer with 230,000 which was down on last weeks 280,000.

Seven

Seven was the one to finally knock Nine off the top of the primary share perch last night with 17.5% and was also #1 in network shares with 27.0%.

The key to Seven’s win last night was a triple header of Home and Away with an average of 443,000 viewers. This was followed by Wife Swap Australia with 309,000 which was up on last Thursday’s 238,000.

10

On 10, Gogglebox Australia was the networks top-rating show with 596,000 this was the show’s highest rating episode of the year after 517,000 last Thursday and 502,000 for its launch episode. This was the top non-news program for the night and was also #1 in all key demos. This was preceded by Bondi Rescue (371,000) and Territory Cops (402,000).

The Project had 225,000 and 383,000 as the panel discussed Scott Morrison‘s rejection of an inquiry into the accusations against Christian Porter, Kathleen Folbigg, and pole flipping. 

ABC

The top non-news show on ABC was Backroads which took 499,000 viewers to Eugowra last night. 

The episode was a Q+A All About Women special ahead of International Women’s Day, and brought together a diverse panel of women to discuss the big issues of the day.

SBS

The top non-news programs for SBS last night were The World’s Great Palaces with 145,000 and Shadowplay with 135,000.