News24 reports 22% Foxtel audience lift after rebrand

News24 says its average audience on Foxtel increased 22 per cent year-on-year during the first four weeks of its rebrand, as the former Sky News Australia rolls out its first national brand campaign under the new name.

The network, which officially became News24 on 27 July, said it ranked as Foxtel’s number one non-sport channel during the period. The campaign spans television, digital, print, PR, social, audio, out-of-home, transit and retail under the launch platform “A new era of news”.

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Early audience figures

According to figures supplied by News24, average audiences on regional free-to-air channel News24 Regional increased 12 per cent year-on-year, while News24 Now monthly viewing sessions rose 43 per cent.

Page views across News24.com.au and the News24 Australia app were up 45 per cent on the previous month.

The Foxtel figures cover 27 July to 23 August and are sourced from Kantar Linear STB data. Regional television results are based on the OzTAM Regional Panel across Queensland, Northern New South Wales, Southern New South Wales and Victoria, while the digital figures draw on Amagi Analytics, Cascada Analytics and Adobe Analytics.

News24 Head of Marketing and Communications Emma Van Der Aa said the campaign had to manage the transition from a brand with three decades of history while establishing the new identity.

“Renaming a trusted news network built on three decades of brand equity presented a unique challenge but also a rare opportunity to build upon a proud legacy of journalism,” she said.

“We’re just over a month in and the audience results are encouraging, supporting both our creative approach and media strategy, with strong engagement across our multiplatform network.”

Agencies behind the News24 rebrand

The campaign was developed by News24’s in-house creative and marketing team alongside Today the Brave and News Corp Australia’s in-house creative agency Roller. Independent agency Kaimera led media strategy and planning.

The broader visual identity was developed with Foxtel creative agency Balboa, covering the new logo, motion graphics and studio environment. News24 also commissioned Uncanny Valley to create a new network theme and sonic identity.

News24 Head of Creative Jessica Burton said the project went beyond changing the network’s name.

“We approached it as the creation of an entirely new brand identity, developing a distinctive visual system that reflects the scale of News24's ambition and positions us for the future,” she said.

From audience education to launch

The communications strategy began ahead of the July changeover with the message “Our name is changing. Our brand of news isn't”, before shifting at launch to “A new era of news”.

Today the Brave Managing Partner Jaimes Leggett said the creative challenge was “not simply to announce a new name - it was to give people a compelling reason to look again”.

Kaimera Chief Client Officer Anna Magliano said the media roll-out was underpinned by a data-led strategy designed to manage the scale of the brand transition.

The campaign follows News24’s July launch across broadcast, streaming and digital, which also introduced a rebuilt website and News24 Australia app as the News Corp Australia-owned network expands its digital offering.