Binge bigger
Foxtel is looking to pump scale into its flagship entertainment platform, introducing a new live and on demand sports content vertical ‘direct from Kayo’ in what Binge and Kayo chief Julian Ogrin said is a bid to make Binge an “everyday streaming service”.
“I think Binge is becoming that utility multiple category service that you either start the day with, when you’re starting the day getting news updates, or ending the day just watching channels or catching up on a show. We’re even going to have our music channels like MTV, so you might be entertaining and having MTV in the background with some music videos… It is becoming that utility for whatever lifestyle needs you have in and around the home.”
That play is not dissimilar to the strategy deployed on Kayo, and there were some sideline rumblings that the integration could cannibalise its audiences. But Foxtel head of brand solutions Alexandra Hazlehurst said the group is ready to push past that fear and that the risk is relatively small – of the circa 3 million paid users between the two, there’s less than 10 per cent audience overlap.
Content-wise, the split clearly strategic, with Binge leaning into women’s sport, starting with the AFLW and WBBL grand finals later this year. Next year, that will expand with Women’s Gold, Men’s Big Bash League, Super Netball and simulcast NRL and and AFL games come winter. New live news channels from Sky News, CNBC and Fox Sport, and live music channels from the likes of MTV will bring the FAST offering on Binge upwards of 40 channels, laying the groundwork for Foxtel to grow the six to seven hours users currently spend on the platform each week.
“Kayo sports will continue to be unrivalled, but this is about creating an everyday proposition through news, sport, entertainment and and lifestyle,” adds Ogrin.
The push to broaden content on Binge comes ahead of the local arrival of HBO Max early next year, which may strip the platform of some of its most valuable titles, like Game of Thrones spin-off House of Dragon.
Ogrin gave little away on potential impacts. Foxtel is “clearly aware of each of our content partners plans in the future” but “we certainly haven’t announced anything”, he told Mi3.
As one door closes another might open – with long-running speculation that Foxtel Media could initially provide HBO’s on-ground sales representation.
Given Netflix’ teething troubles in setting up a sales team from scratch, and the importance of local sales know-how and relationships in moving the revenue needle, Warner Bros. Discovery may be mulling that option.
