Australia's TV Landscape Set To Transform Following Multiple Shake-ups

5 October 2016 | 2:11 pm | Staff Writer

Several announcements will have far-reaching impacts on local viewing prospects in the near future

The local small- and cyber-screen set-up is about to see a significant change to its composition following a burst of announcements ushering in multiple changes across the landscape.

Firstly, in the wake of Foxtel's announcement that it would be adding streaming services Netflix and Stan to its set-top box offerings, the pay-TV giant has announced that it will be buying out Seven West Media, its business partner in rival SVOD platform Presto, from its interest in the joint venture.

The move complements Foxtel's plans to reinvigorate and relaunch its Foxtel Play online service, with Presto set to cease operation on 31 January 2017.

"It has been great working with the team at Seven on Presto and we look forward to future collaborations," Foxtel chief executive Peter Tonagh said in a statement. "We are delighted to be able to offer Presto subscribers access to the new look Foxtel Play, which we know will be highly attractive to them."

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Additionally, SBS2 — which has, since 2013, been the broadcaster's youth-skewed platform among its channel options — will be replaced mid-next month, when the network joins forces with US-Canadian alt-media powerhouse Vice to create SBS Viceland, premiering on 15 November.

The channel has been in the works for some time — Vice Australia managing director Michael Slonim commented on the partnership back in June, saying the "unique" venture would "help catapult Vice into the consciousness of young Australians", with the team-up being fuelled by shared values between the companies.

"SBS shares our storytelling sensibilities and curiosity about the world, and we're delighted to be partnering up to bring Viceland to this market in the biggest way possible," Slonim said at the time.

Finally, less impactful for the average viewer but still of note, Australian company Quickflix — which went into administration back in May, seemingly following early streaming-wars casualty EzyFlix into the abyss — has been bought for $1.3 million by US entrepreneur Erik Pence.

Curiously, as Fairfax reports, Pence seems to have ideas up his sleeve for the in-limbo SVOD service, announcing that his company, Karma Media Holdings, will retain 24 employees as well as making good on entitlements owed to previous employees, while repositioning Quickflix in anticipation of a "planned shift in content strategy towards niche markets".

Despite all these changes, Family Feud will still screen across four channels at the same time every weeknight, so we still have a long way to go.