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Tag: Telstra

  • Streamer Dazn acquires Australian Foxtel group from News Corp & Telstra for A$3.4 bn

    Streamer Dazn acquires Australian Foxtel group from News Corp & Telstra for A$3.4 bn

    MUMBAI: It’s a deal that’s happening  down under but it’s given streaming platform Dazn group an upper hand as it continues its march towards spreading its wings even further globally. News Corp and Telstra owners of the Foxtel group– once a prized pay TV operator in Australia now turned streamer – have agreed to sell it to the Dazn group in a deal that values it at A$3.4 billion, including debt. Dazn is a  privately-held global streamer owned by British-Ukrainian billionaire Len Blavatnik.

    Under the terms of the agreement, Dazn will pay News Corp’s loans to the tune  of $578 million in cash on account of Foxtel, give it a board seat and a six per cent shareholding in the acquiring company. 35 per cent Foxtel owner Telstra’s debt of A$128 million too will be repaid and it will end up with a three per cent minority interest in Dazn. Foxtel’s existing debt will be refinanced by Dazn when the deal closes. 

    Founded in 2016, Dazn has more than 3,000 employees and reported a top line of $3.2bn in 2023, having grown its annual revenues by over 50  per cent on average from 2020 to 2023, through diverse revenue streams comprising subscriptions, advertising, sponsorship, and transactional video on demand. It has more than 300 million viewers across 200 markets. Dazn streams over 90,000 live events annually and is the home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL internationally. The platform features sports and leagues from around the world including Bundesliga, Serie A, LALIGA, Ligue 1, Formula 1, NBA, Moto GP, and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

    A press release mentioned that the agreement follows a strategic and financial review of Foxtel as part of its  ongoing efforts to optimise its portfolio and simplify its corporate structure. With Dazn’s global reach, industry leading technology and broad content portfolio, the proposed transaction enhances Foxtel’s position as a digital-first, streaming-focused business, led by the current CEO, Patrick Delany, and his management team. The Foxtel group includes the Foxtel, Hubbl, Flash, Kayo Sports and Binge streaming brands along with Fox Sports and Foxtel Media. Foxtel has 4.7 million streaming subscribers

    The transaction, which is expected to close in the second half of fiscal 2025, is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. For News Corp financial reporting purposes, Foxtel will be classified as discontinued operations as of the second quarter of fiscal 2025. 

    “This agreement is a victory for News Corp shareholders, Dazn, and sport fans in Australia and around the world,” said News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson. “Foxtel has been transformed into a genuine digital and streaming leader in Australia, and we believe Dazn is the right owner to take the business to the next level with their technological capabilities, global footprint and compelling sports rights. This transaction also allows News Corp to focus on our other growth pillars of Dow Jones, digital real estate and book publishing, while benefiting from repayment of our shareholder loans and an improved credit profile. We are proud to be a long-term partner of Dazn and its talented team.”

    Dazn chief executive officer Shay Segev said: “Australians watch more sport than any other country in the world, which makes this deal an incredibly exciting opportunity for Dazn to enter a key market, marking another step in our long-term strategy to become the global home of sport. Foxtel is a successful business that has undergone a remarkable digital transformation in recent years, and we are confident that our global reach and relentless pursuit of innovation will continue to drive the business forward and ensure long-term success. 
    “We are committed to supporting and investing in Foxtel’s television and streaming services, across both sports and entertainment, using our world-leading technology to further enhance the viewing experience for customers. We are also committed to using our global reach to export Australia’s most popular sports to new markets around the world, and we will continue to promote women’s and under-represented sports. 

    “We’re looking forward to working closely with Patrick Delany and his team, as well as News Corp and Telstra as shareholders in DAZN, to realise our ambitious vision for the future of sport entertainment.” 

    Foxtel chairman Siobhan McKenna, said the agreement with DAZN was international recognition of the transformation of Foxtel from an incumbent pay TV operator to a sports and entertainment digital and streaming leader. “Over the last seven years the Foxtel team, with the strong support of News, have achieved an extraordinary turnaround in an intensely competitive environment.” 

    Foxtel Group CEO Patrick Delany said: “News Corp’s unwavering support and guidance has seen Foxtel successfully reinvent itself into a dynamic, streaming-led business delivering strong financial performance. We are excited to embark on the next chapter with Dazn, a premier global sports streaming provider, as our new shareholder. Dazn’s backing will enhance our strategy needed, provide access to their global reach, and strengthen the infrastructure and technology to accelerate our transformation. Most importantly, we will continue to be a proudly Australian-based business, led by local management, committed to delivering locally-produced sports and entertainment content for our audiences.” 
     

  • OTT: Blink Now taps Ooyala for video ads, live streaming & real-time analytics

    MUMBAI: Ooyala, a global provider of video monetization technology and services, is powering the complete video business of Blink Now, a leading premium OTT provider in the Philippines. With Ooyala, Blink Now is maximizing its business potential across three separate OTT properties with a single provider, powering ad operations, video delivery, data-driven insights and live streaming to more than 180,000 users nationwide.

    A US-based subsidiary of global telecommunications and IT services company Telstra, Ooyala’s comprehensive suite of offerings includes one of the world’s largest premium video platforms, a leading ad serving and programmatic platform and media logistics solution that improves video production workflows.

    A part of SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc., SMLEI, the entertainment arm and subsidiary of the Philippines largest property developer, SM Prime Holdings, Blink Now is the OTT division focused on providing the best entertainment content and customer experience. The company required a sophisticated video technology provider with a powerful analytics solution to help them understand their audience’s habits across its subscription-based (SVOD), transaction-based (TVOD) and ad-supported video services (AVOD).

    “Supporting multiple TV-monetization models demands rich data to guide decisions. Ooyala’s analytics ties our business decisions to our audience’s desires, giving us the confidence to know what we build is what they want most,” said SMLEI Assistant Vice President of Digital Media and Head, Francis Gerard R. Tupaz.

    He added, “when considering our options in the market, Ooyala stood out as they are the only video solutions provider with a comprehensive set of modern-day technologies. Backed by a local team for support and services, Ooyala immediately solved multiple challenges from reliable live streaming, audience measurement, premium content delivery and holistic ad-campaign management.”

    With Ooyala IQ, Blink Now has access to up-to-the minute analytics to see what content is trending at any given time, allowing them to feature well-performing content to attract even higher viewership. Real-time multi-dimensional reports gives Blink Now granular insights to track engagement over any period of time across all properties or even individual videos. The data helps ensure they are reinvesting in highly-profitable content for the business based on its audience’s’ viewing behaviors.

    Using Ooyala Pulse, the customer can see how ad-loads affect drop-off and completion rates against varying content lengths. This allows them to tailor the right amount of ads to every piece of content to maximize monetisation without sacrificing user experience.

    “Blink Now is great example of a modern entertainment customer in need of Integrated Video Platform solutions. With our technologies, they can grow in tandem with its audience’s appetite for video and with the industry,” said Ooyala General Manager of Asia-Pacific, Steve Davis. “And with our analytics, they now have the insights to see how audiences watch Hollywood titles versus globally-recognized TV episodes differently, what content is driving them the most money and how their audiences prefers to pay for and access content across devices.”

    Ooyala will be highlighting its set Integrated Video Platform (IVP) solutions at NAB 2017 and APOS 2017. With a common data set to drive insights and inform strategies, IVP is the next generation of OVP, evolving well beyond online video platform capabilities to deliver sophisticated solutions to understand the costs and return-on-investment of video content.

  • Hooq appoints OTT veteran for Singapore business

    Hooq appoints OTT veteran for Singapore business

    MUMBAI: Soon after its successful launch in Singapore on 24 November with a catalogue of 20,000 shows and movies, video on demand streaming service Hooq is completely focused on strengthening its footprints. It has appointed a country manager for Singapore, OTT industry veteran Michael D’Oliveiro.

    D’Oliveiro will be responsible for managing the market and will focus on expansion through customer acquisition, retention, and key partnerships.

    Hooq CEO Peter Bithos is delighted about the new appointment and strongly believes that D’Oliveiro, with over 18 years of diverse experience in the broadcast and telecommunications industry, will uncover new business opportunities in Singapore.

    Singapore-born D’Oliveiro developed, launched and managed Telstra’s first business-to-business portfolio of online video products for use outside of Australia. He held global profit-and-loss responsibilities working with customers from the UK to Australia and Singapore.

    D’Oliveiro was also a part of the core consumer product management team at Malaysian pay-TV company Astro, where he helped develop and manage its early OTT products.

  • Hooq appoints OTT veteran for Singapore business

    Hooq appoints OTT veteran for Singapore business

    MUMBAI: Soon after its successful launch in Singapore on 24 November with a catalogue of 20,000 shows and movies, video on demand streaming service Hooq is completely focused on strengthening its footprints. It has appointed a country manager for Singapore, OTT industry veteran Michael D’Oliveiro.

    D’Oliveiro will be responsible for managing the market and will focus on expansion through customer acquisition, retention, and key partnerships.

    Hooq CEO Peter Bithos is delighted about the new appointment and strongly believes that D’Oliveiro, with over 18 years of diverse experience in the broadcast and telecommunications industry, will uncover new business opportunities in Singapore.

    Singapore-born D’Oliveiro developed, launched and managed Telstra’s first business-to-business portfolio of online video products for use outside of Australia. He held global profit-and-loss responsibilities working with customers from the UK to Australia and Singapore.

    D’Oliveiro was also a part of the core consumer product management team at Malaysian pay-TV company Astro, where he helped develop and manage its early OTT products.

  • Siti Cable’s VD Wadhwa nominated for Asia Communication Awards

    Siti Cable’s VD Wadhwa nominated for Asia Communication Awards

    MUMBAI: Siti Cable executive director and CEO VD Wadhwa has been nominated in the Best CEO Category for Asia Communication Awards 2016, along with 11 other leading Asian CEOs. The winner will be determined through an industry vote, assessed through net promoter scoring (NPS).

    Launched in 2011, the Asia Communication Awards (ACA) is a platform that recognizes the outstanding performance and innovation of the companies and individuals driving the success of the Asian based communication industry. The CEO of the Year category sets out to recognize the CEO who has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Past winners in this category have been from esteemed organizations like Tata Communications, Telstra and China Mobile.

    ACA is organized by Total Telecom that meets the information and research needs of the Global Communications industry. The award ceremony will be held in Singapore, Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel on June 1, 2016.

     

  • Siti Cable’s VD Wadhwa nominated for Asia Communication Awards

    Siti Cable’s VD Wadhwa nominated for Asia Communication Awards

    MUMBAI: Siti Cable executive director and CEO VD Wadhwa has been nominated in the Best CEO Category for Asia Communication Awards 2016, along with 11 other leading Asian CEOs. The winner will be determined through an industry vote, assessed through net promoter scoring (NPS).

    Launched in 2011, the Asia Communication Awards (ACA) is a platform that recognizes the outstanding performance and innovation of the companies and individuals driving the success of the Asian based communication industry. The CEO of the Year category sets out to recognize the CEO who has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Past winners in this category have been from esteemed organizations like Tata Communications, Telstra and China Mobile.

    ACA is organized by Total Telecom that meets the information and research needs of the Global Communications industry. The award ceremony will be held in Singapore, Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel on June 1, 2016.

     

  • AFL signs colossal $2.5 billion deal with Murdoch’s Seven & Foxtel

    AFL signs colossal $2.5 billion deal with Murdoch’s Seven & Foxtel

    MUMBAI: The AFL will reap a major financial windfall after striking a colossal new six-year broadcast rights agreement for $2.508 billion. The new deal will see Channel Seven, Foxtel and Telstra continue as the League’s broadcasters, which will run from 2017 to 2022.

     

    The current deal expires at the end of the 2016 season. The existing deal was effectively worth $250 million a year while the new deal is 67 per cent bigger at $418 million a year.

     

    AFL commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick and CEO Gillon McLachlan while announcing the deal were joined by News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch, News Corp CEO Robert Thomson, Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes and Telstra CEO Andy Penn, among others. 

     

    Channel Seven will broadcast matches in HD free-to-air from the start of the new deal in 2017. The AFL will continue to retain full control of the fixture, including whether the grand final is scheduled as a day, twilight or night match. The AFL fixture will remain at 22 rounds, with nine games each weekend.

     

    Foxtel will continue to broadcast every game, except the AFL Grand Final, which will be aired live on Pay TV. Foxtel will have the right to sub-licence one game per round each weekend in the Saturday 3.20 pm AEST timeslot to a free-to-air provider, if it chooses. Meanwhile Telstra will once again hold the rights for hand-held devices, AFL.com.au and the club digital network. Telstra will broadcast every match on mobile devices.

     

    McLachlan said, “The historic deal delivered for clubs, players, supporters and the community. The deal would provide financial security for clubs and players to allow future growth and certainty. The deal would see resources directed towards the foundations of the game, while growing into new communities to create new generations of supporters, members, players and volunteers.”

     

    The existing deal was sealed for $1.25 billion in April 2011. AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said the new deal will help the League grow its reach over the next decade. “We need to continue to be the first choice for our elite and talented athletes, we need to strengthen our clubs at all levels, and we need to invest in the community level of our game. This agreement with News Corporation, the Seven Network and Telstra will allow us to make the right investment to keep our game strong,” he said.

     

    Murdoch added, “AFL was Australia’s premium football code. This is a very significant investment for us. We’ve always believed that this is the premium code in Australia – it’s the national game. We’re very happy to be doing this. We believe in the strength of the game and we’ll do everything we can to make it stronger.”

     

    Kerry Stokes revealed the broadcaster would search for ways to broadcast in HD before the next agreement kicks off. “It’s a matter under review. It’s been a technical issue for the network, as you’re aware, and we’re reviewing it again this summer with the hope that we can find a way of bringing high definition to Melbourne,” he said. provides for a separate dispensation in so far as commercial establishments are concerned and hence we hope that the regulator keeps the same in mind while formulating the new tariff regime.”

     

     

    BBC India COO Naveen Jhunjhunwala added, “We strongly advocate a distinction between ordinary and commercial subscribers as far as tariff is concerned since the place of viewing the TV signal and type of usage of TV signals is inherently different in both these categories. Having a global presence, we have seen that the regulators have left determination of tariffs to forbearance thereby ensuring dynamic competition.  With Government focus on making India an easier place to do business, leaving things to market forces will ensure growth and be in line with international scenario.” 

  • Broadband Asia & TV Connect Asia 2013 returns to Hong Kong

    Broadband Asia & TV Connect Asia 2013 returns to Hong Kong

    MUMBAI: The ninth edition of Broadband Asia & TV Connect Asia 2013, Asia Pacific’s largest broadband and media event, is set to relocate back to Hong Kong.

    Co-located with TV Connect Asia, the conference and exhibition will highlight visionary new developments in TV and broadband, bringing together the two ecosystems and their leading figures from across the region.

    The event’s focus is reflected throughout its agenda which has an impressive speaker line-up that will give visitors exclusive insight into the latest advancements in mobile and fixed broadband, and the content evolution.

    The two-day event is made up of two programme tracks which complement each other to reflect the nature of the converging broadband and connected entertainment industry.

    Day One will address fixed access evolution, mobile and wireless opportunities, business models, the digital home, making TV multi-screen, and effective content delivery management, while Day Two will focus on leveraging broadband networks, capacity and accessibility, effective TV delivery and content business strategies.

    Combined keynotes will take place across both days with C-level speakers, including CSL, Celestial Tiger Entertainment, Youku Tudou, Hulu, Telstra, Telecom New Zealand and KT (Korea Telecom).

    As the event’s official Host Operator Partners, Hong Kong’s leading operators PCCW and HKT have come forward as supporters of the conference and exhibition.

    The event also has support from CSL, Pacnet and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau for Hong Kong.

    The conference agenda also boasts a joint super session on Day Two, set to focus on tackling content piracy in the Internet Age. Here, leading figures from News Corporation, Media Partners Age, Motion Pictures Association, PCCW-HKT and CASBAA (Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia), will lead the discussion on this hot topic.

    Broadband Asia & TV Connect Asia HKT’s Group Managing Director, Alex Arena, will provide the host keynote.

    Arena comments: “PCCW and HKT are very excited to have this event return to Hong Kong where we look forward to greeting a wide range of delegates from across the region and beyond. This is a highly valuable opportunity for us all to meet new partners, discover new business opportunities, benchmark your own business and to gain insight into the hottest topics facing the broadband and TV industry in the Asia Pacific region.”

    Susie Ho, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology) at Hong Kong’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, will open the conference and exhibition with a Ministerial welcome address.

    Visitors will benefit from conference sessions delivered by over 150 visionary speakers and an exhibition featuring leading industry solution and technology providers.

    The event’s VIP Executive Summit is also back for another successful year, taking place on Day One and bringing together top executives in the industry for an exclusive exploratory session.

  • Vision Asia selects Telstra for Australia and New Zealand market

    Vision Asia selects Telstra for Australia and New Zealand market

    MUMBAI: Direct-to-home (DTH) satellite broadcaster, Vision Asia, has selected Telstra to provide managed satellite services for its Australian and New Zealand viewers in a deal worth more than $24 million over 10 years.

    Telstra receives the Vision Asia content from its international source, encrypts, encodes and multiplexes at its Perth teleport, and then transmits the complete package to Vision Asia’s customers across Australia and New Zealand.

    Telstra Global head of voice, satellite business Peter Hobbs said, “Telstra’s new managed global satellite service offers a quality alternative for Australian broadcasters and continues the company’s growth in its suite of network application and services. Vision Asia will be the first organisation to benefit from Telstra’s DTH broadcast services.”

    Telstra’s managed satellite solutions are provided via Telstra’s teleports in Perth, Sydney and Hong Kong. These teleports provide access to a global network of major satellite systems, which enables Telstra satellite customers to efficiently and quickly acquire live international television feeds, as well as a comprehensive suite of other satellite services.

    The Vision Asia services are delivered via the IS-19 satellite which utilises advanced, high-powered transponders giving single beam and single footprint coverage of both Australia and New Zealand. Telstra’s platform supports the latest media transmission technologies including DVBS2 and MPEG4, and HD encoding.

    According to Vision Asia CEO Gurudutt Satigrama, the Telstra deal is a win-win situation both for his company and his customers. “Through the new Telstra solution, we are able to benefit from not only a higher quality and more efficient international satellite service, but also from the local market service expertise and track record .Telstra has in delivering best in class content distribution and management services to the Australian media Industry."

    Telstra Global provides innovative and flexible global communications services and solutions for organisations looking to maximise the benefits of globalisation, particularly across growth regions such as Asia, whilst driving sustainability and enhancing business agility.

  • Vision Asia chooses Telstra for managed satellite services

    Vision Asia chooses Telstra for managed satellite services

    MUMBAI: Direct-to-home (DTH) services provider Vision Asia has selected Telstra to provide managed satellite services for its Australian and New Zealand viewers in a deal worth more than $24 million over 10 years.

    Telstra Global head of voice, satellite business, Peter Hobbs said, “Telstra’s new managed global satellite service offers a quality alternative for Australian broadcasters and continues the company’s growth in its suite of network application and services. Vision Asia will be the first organisation to benefit from Telstra’s DTH broadcast services.”

    “We receive the Vision Asia content from its international source, encrypt, encode and multiplex at our Perth teleport, and then transmit the complete package to Vision Asia’s customers across Australia and New Zealand.

    “These new solutions add to our already substantial experience in providing services to the media sector. These include our wholly owned and operated Digital Video broadcast network, our IPTV Content Delivery Network, and our recent managed content cloud services, which provide clients with end-to-end solutions reaching web, phone, tablet and connected TV viewers.”

    Vision Asia CEO Gurudutt Satigrama, said that the Telstra deal was a win-win situation both for his company and his customers. “Through the new Telstra solution, we are able to benefit from not only a higher quality and more efficient international satellite service, but also from the local market service expertise and track record Telstra has in delivering best in class content distribution and management services to the Australian media Industry.

    “We have recently completed the transition to Telstra and are now offering Vision Asia customers an enhanced viewing experience.”

    Telstra’s managed satellite solutions are provided via Telstra’s teleports in Perth, Sydney and Hong Kong. These teleports provide access to a global network of major satellite systems, which enables Telstra satellite customers to efficiently and quickly acquire live international television feeds, as well as a comprehensive suite of other satellite services.

    The Vision Asia services are delivered via the IS-19 satellite which utilises advanced, high-powered transponders giving single beam and single footprint coverage of both Australia and New Zealand. Telstra’s platform supports the latest media transmission technologies including DVBS2 and MPEG4, and HD encoding.

    Telstra Global provides innovative and flexible global communications services and solutions for organisations looking to maximise the benefits of globalisation, particularly across growth regions such as Asia, whilst driving sustainability and enhancing business agility.