All new and returning content
The Foxtel Group has revealed their line-up of entertainment and sport at their 2024 upfront, highlighted by new and returning Aussie originals as well as local and international sport.
Coming to Binge
A new feature film commissioned by the Foxtel Group for BINGE highlighted the entertainment announcements with How to Make Gravy, an adaptation of Paul Kelly’s Australian song, now in production on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Set to star in the film includes actor Daniel Henshall, Hugo Weaving, French actress Agathe Rouselle along with a number of Australian stars including Brenton Thwaites, Damon Herriman and Kate Mulvany. It will also feature cameo performances from Australian musicians, Adam Briggs and Dallas Woods.
How to Make Gravy was adapted for the screen by musician Meg Washington and Nick Waterman, who will also direct. Academy Award-nominated producer, Schuyler Weiss will produce alongside Washington, Waterman and Hamish Lewis.
Also confirmed was The Last Anniversary, an adaptation of the novel by Australian author Liane Moriarty, produced by Made Up Stories and Blossom Films and directed by John Polson, with production set to begin this year.
The premiere date of 6 December was announced for new original series, Strife, from Made Up Stories, and starring Asher Keddie with all 8 episodes dropping at once. Inspired by Mia Freedman’s memoir, “Work, Strife, Balance”, Strife is set in the ever-changing world of publishing during the emerging digital age.
More content set to launch in the coming year includes:
• High Country, an eight-part mystery thriller starring Leah Purcell AM, Aaron Pedersen, Sara Wiseman and Ian McElhinney, and tells the story of detective Andrea (Andie) Whitford (Purcell) who is transferred to the Victorian High Country, where she is thrust into a baffling mystery of five missing persons who have vanished into the wilderness.
• The Twelve Season 2 starring Sam Neill who reprises his role as Brett Colby, SC alongside Frances O’Connor as Meredith Nelson-Moore, SC in this crime drama which follows a controversial murder trial seen through the lens of the jurors – 12 ordinary Australians who are facing their own realities and struggles.
• Production of Season 2 of the comedy series, Colin From Accounts, created and written by and starring Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall starts in Sydney in the coming months.
• Mix Tape, a four-part event miniseries adapted from the popular novel by Jane Sanderson is BINGE’s first international co-production.
• A new docu-soap reality original series, Billion Dollar Playground, which takes viewers into the exclusive world of uber-wealthy guests who pay a premium for high-end vacation homes, as world-class staff service their round-the-clock demands.
New programs coming to Foxtel
All new programs coming to Foxtel include: The next instalment of True Detective: Night Country starring Jodie Foster premieres January 15; Bookie, from creator Chuck Lorre and starring Charlie Sheen, this darkly funny comedy follows veteran Los Angeles bookie as the potential legalisation of sports gambling in California threatens to upend his business for good; The Sympathizer, based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name; The Regime, starring Kate Winslet, which tells the story of one year within the walls of the palace of a modern European regime as it begins to unravel; Ted, based on the live-action/CGI box office hit and sequel from “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane; Vigil S2, starring Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie in a brand-new investigation as they enter the secret world of drone warfare to catch a killer.
More anticipated titles will be available to Foxtel and BINGE customers, including Apples Never Fall, based on Liane Moriarty’s novel, and starring Sam Neill and Annette Bening; Feud Capote vs The Swans, starring Naomi Watts, Demi Moore and Molly Ringwald and produced by Ryan Murphy and Belgravia: The Next Chapter, taking place 24 years from the series Belgravia.. Plus all the WWE action including WWE Elimination Chamber live from Perth in February 2024.
Lifestyle Originals Returning
The Foxtel Group will continue to offer a slate of much loved Lifestyle Original programming with Selling Houses Australia returning for season 16 with hosts Andrew Winter, Wendy Moore and Dennis Scott. Gogglebox Australia along with another special edition of Celebrity Gogglebox Australia are also set to return in 2024.
On the night, the Group paid tribute to the late Cal Wilson for her extensive contribution to the comedy and entertainment industry and her celebrated career. She will be seen in her final role as host of Great Australian Bake Off in 2024 which was filmed earlier this year alongside judges Rachel Khoo and Darren Purchese and fellow host Natalie Tran.
Foxtel’s Sports line-up
In sport, 2024 will launch with a big summer of cricket including every Australian Men’s and Women’s home international, every match of the BBL and WBBL, plus major domestic and international matches live and ad-break free during play on Kayo Sports and Foxtel.
As a key broadcast partner of ESPN in Australia, Kayo Sports and Foxtel will be bringing all NBL and select WNBL games, plus select NBA games, across the summer. In addition, sports fans can watch the NFL’s showpiece events live.
In 2024, the NRL will kick off with the opening round being staged in Las Vegas, and Fox League will be the only place to watch both games including the exclusive season opener between the Sea Eagles and Rabbitohs, live. Fox League will be on the ground with Matty Johns and NRL 360 LIVE from Las Vegas to catch all the build-up.
Sports fans will also be able to watch every match of the Super Netball Season along with Australian International Tests and the Quad Series plus all the Supercars, MotoGP and Formula 1 events along with Main Event Boxing and UFC, Golf, AFLW, NRLW, NFL, Surfing and more.
From 2025, the new Foxtel Group and AFL rights come into effect. In addition to having all AFL and AFLW home and away games and finals (excluding the AFL Grand Final) available on Foxtel and Kayo Sports live and ad-break free during play, the Foxtel Group will introduce an exclusive ‘Super Saturday’ of games across the first eight rounds of the season.
See also: First look: Foxtel Media prepares Cockatoo Island for 2024 Upfront
Foxtel Upfront 2024 introduces Hubbl
The Foxtel upfront 2024 saw the introduction of Hubbl, Australia’s newest transformative TV technology that is expected to change the entertainment experience for the better for millions of Australians.
As streaming frustration and fatigue soar across the country, Hubbl offers a solution to the many hours lost scrolling and app hopping and the confusion that comes with managing more than one subscription. It brings simplicity and ease back to the world of entertainment.
Hubbl, previously known as ‘Project Magneto’, brings together paid and free streaming entertainment into the world’s best user interface (so there is no need to go in and out of apps to discover content you love). The Hubbl experience is delivered via a world-leading entertainment operating system (OS), which will be available on two different devices, giving consumers access to a universe of content whilst unifying subscriptions.
Backed by global leaders in entertainment technology – Comcast USA and Sky UK – Hubbl has world scale but has been designed for Australia. Hubbl will continuously evolve its entertainment OS with regular software updates, without requiring a new device.
Hubbl will fundamentally change the TV and streaming experience by making it easy to access your paid and free shows and sports, simplifying search and how you continue watching content across apps, as well as taking the frustration out of managing app subscriptions.
Hubbl is a small device that plugs into any compatible TV. The only way to make the Hubbl experience better will be to buy Hubbl Glass – a world-class TV with Hubbl and a high-quality built-in sound bar that only requires an internet connection and a power cord, no other wires.
Patrick Delany, CEO, Hubbl and Foxtel Group, said: “We all love the explosion of choice that streaming has delivered us over the past few years. But there is no doubt we are all experiencing the same frustrations: having to go in and out of apps, keeping track of show recommendations, remembering what we started but did not finish watching and who in the family is paying for what. Hubbl solves these frustrations.
“Hubbl is the next quantum leap in entertainment technology and is the solution to a complex Australian streaming landscape caused by the fabulous explosion of choice in streaming services available to Australians.
“Hubbl is like nothing in the market – ‘it is TV and streaming made easy’ – seamlessly integrating world-leading technology with a purpose-built design and unrivaled app integration that sets it well ahead of the curve.
“It has been built with Australian consumers in mind, effortlessly fusing free and paid entertainment and sport from apps, channels and the internet into one seamless user experience – delivered via Hubbl Hub or a world leading TV, Hubbl Glass. It will deliver a frictionless paid and free entertainment environment, and we believe will become the heart of the home for millions of Australians.”
Hubbl will launch in Australia in the coming months. More announcements on app partners and product features will be released soon.
See also: Kaboom: Foxtel Media Upfront announcements destined to shake-up TV sector
Foxtel Media and VideoAmp partner to change how Australia measures media
Foxtel Media has announced its plans to change how media is bought, valued and sold in Australia. The company unveiled a new partnership with US-based, media measurement and optimisation software company, VideoAmp to develop a new measurement system that will capture viewing data from across Foxtel Group services.
Speaking at Foxtel Media’s 2024 Upfront, CEO Mark Frain said that the Group had reached a digital tipping point in viewership, with 66% (3.1 million subscribers) of the company’s customer base coming from its streaming services. Frain explained that existing ratings methodologies were struggling to keep pace with the shift in viewership to digital streaming platforms.
“As a whole, the Foxtel Group has more viewership data than ever before, and we need a sophisticated solution that can leverage these large datasets. VideoAmp is an established, proven entity in the US, and we’re excited to be working with them to create a new measurement system that’s fit for purpose and connects the dots between ad exposures, audiences, and outcomes,” said Frain.
The Foxtel Group holds viewership data for over four million subscribers. Under the FoxTest initiative, the new measurement system aims to support brands with advertiser appetite in moving away from small measurement panels, and towards the utilisation of premium and scaled data sets in order to deliver better business outcomes.
“The US television market has operated as a multiple currency marketplace for several years, and we are now seeing the Australian market come around to the concept as more cross-platform audience measurement is required, and brands and agencies flag concerns about economic headwinds,” said Frain.
VideoAmp’s measurement services in the US currently is used by publishers including Warner Brothers Discovery, Disney, NBC Universal and Televisa Univision.
Foxtel Media and VideoAmp intend to stand up a proof of concept for streaming and linear measurement and currency in 2024 and will work with agencies and brands to define their next phase of work in 2025.
Kantar Media partnership to deliver comprehensive ratings data
Foxtel Media has selected Kantar Media to deliver a new audience measurement service, ingesting data collected from Foxtel subscribers’ set top boxes using return path data technology.
The Kantar powered service will unlock the power of the viewing data captured through more than one million Foxtel set-top boxes installed in Australia.
Foxtel Media will access the data using the AdvantEdge software from Kantar Media’s TechEdge software unit. The solution incorporates data validation, processing, demographic mapping, capping (adjusting long viewing sessions into realistic viewing levels) and quality control.
Mark Frain, CEO, Foxtel Media said “In 2023, we should all be able to confidently measure and trade digital currency in a digital world. Foxtel Group has access to data from over one million set top boxes and more than 3.1 million streaming customers, and we’d be negligent if we leave this data idling for another minute. That is why we’ve engaged with Kantar, a world-renowned and locally familiar measurement player, to process and analyse viewing data from the true scale of set top boxes being used in Australia. We’re looking forward to delivering new insight into our audiences to aid media planning.”
The service will be able to provide a granular understanding of pay-tv consumption and subscriber behaviour in Australia. Foxtel Media anticipates it will be available to clients from 1 December 2023, and will also include viewing data from the past two years.
Keld Nielsen, senior director at Kantar Media said, “We are delighted to be partnering with Foxtel Media, leveraging our deep experience in processing operator data to unlock the value of their subscriber data. We are excited to explore new opportunities that serve the Australian media industry, unlocking further opportunities to integrate and enrich more data services in the future. “
Foxtel Media announces carbon impact measurement offering for ad campaigns
Foxtel Media has announced that the Foxtel Group will be the first Australian broadcaster to offer carbon impact measurement of advertising campaigns to its agency and brand clients.
Unveiled at the Foxtel Media Upfront 2024 as part of the ongoing FoxTest initiative, the company detailed a new partnership with sustainability leader, Scope3, that will allow advertisers to measure carbon emissions from digital campaigns running across Foxtel services.
Director of Customer Engagement of Foxtel Media, Toby Dewar
Scope3 estimates that 1,000 streaming video impressions produce an Australian average of 847 grams of carbon dioxide. The move to measure carbon emissions from digital campaigns came after considerable client feedback about seeking ways to remove carbon overages throughout the advertising supply chain.
Toby Dewar, director of customer engagement at Foxtel Media, said: “We all bear the responsibility of addressing climate change, and we listened when our advertising partners came to us. By partnering with Scope3 and offering carbon impact measurement of all digital campaigns, we’re expressing a clear intent to become better and more accountable. We’re not waiting for regulation to come into play in this regard, we’re taking the lead and raising the standard of practice across the industry.”
“We know that we have a long way to go from here; the Australian media industry is equal to that of aviation in terms of emissions. This is a positive step in the right direction, and with our partners’ help, we hope to build more sustainable media plans and set an example for the rest of the world.”
Foxtel Media has already started the process of minimising its own impact by working with Scope3 to reduce the carbon impact of display inventory by 63% and instream video inventory by 36%. This was achieved by streamlining the number of technology partners involved in the programmatic supply chain.
June Cheung, head of JAPAC at Scope3, said: “From content production, distribution and storage, and end consumer consumption, the media industry emits significant amounts of carbon along its supply chain. Awareness is the first step to change, which is why we’re pleased to be working with Foxtel Media to offer brands and agencies a chance to measure the true impact of their digital campaigns. This is just the first step in the journey to a more environmentally conscious media ecosystem.”
Foxtel Media has already undertaken a carbon impact study of its supply chain with Scope3 and will work with them throughout 2024 to set targets and frameworks that drive further reductions and better practices through the advertising business.
BINGE announces its first original feature film How to Make Gravy
BINGE announced its first original feature film, How to Make Gravy, an adaptation of Paul Kelly’s iconic Australian song that tells the story of an inmate writing a letter home as his family prepares to celebrate their first Christmas without him.
Since its release in 1996, the song has achieved near-mythological status in the Australian musical canon and has cemented itself in the Christmas traditions of millions of families.
As production gets underway on the Gold Coast, Queensland, the streaming service also announced the key cast set to star in the film, led by the highly regarded Daniel Henshall (Snowtown, Mystery Road: Origin) and Australian icon Hugo Weaving (Love Me, The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix), with Brenton Thwaites (Titans, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), Damon Herriman (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Mr Inbetween, The Bikeriders), Kate Mulvany (The Twelve, Hunters, Lambs of God), and, making her English-language debut, celebrated French actress Agathe Rouselle (Titane) with more cast members to be announced.
Daniel Henshall
Hugo Weaving
Kate Mulvany
True to its rock n roll roots, the film will also feature cameo performances from Australian musicians, including powerhouse Adam Briggs and rising rap talent Dallas Woods.
How to Make Gravy was adapted for the screen by award-winning musician Meg Washington and Nick Waterman, who will also direct. Waterman and Washington will produce alongside Hamish Lewis and Academy Award-nominated producer, Schuyler Weiss (Elvis). It is commissioned by the Foxtel Group for BINGE and financed with support by Screen Queensland.
Fifth Season will distribute the film internationally. Executive producers are Michael Brooks for WBITVP and Susannah George with Alison Hurbert-Burns and Amanda Laing. Head of Scripted for the Foxtel Group is Lana Greenhalgh.
Agathe Rousselle
Damon Herriman
Alison Hurbert-Burns, executive director BINGE and commissioning and content Foxtel Group said: “It’s a great privilege to bring Paul Kelly’s iconic song to the screen. I’ve listened to the song for decades, often on my own Christmas road trip, conjuring up the characters, wondering if Stella made her flight and if the brothers made it down from Queensland. Come 2024, at last we’ll know!”
“And with an all-star cast, and such talented creatives in Nick and Meg and our production partners at Warner Bros, we can’t wait to share it with Australia, in what we hope will become a beloved addition to Gravy Day, for many years to come.”
Michael Brooks, managing director and head of studios Australia and New Zealand, Warner Bros. Discovery said: “How to Make Gravy is the first local feature film for Warner Bros.
“International Production Australia, and it is a privilege to adapt Paul’s iconic song into a film we know will live in the hearts and homes of Aussie families for years to come. Alongside BINGE and our other investment partners, we are grateful to Screen Queensland for their ongoing commitment to support Australian stories and local talent.”
Adam Briggs
Dallas Woods
Waterman and Washington said: “It’s a dream to be working with such an incredible cast and crew on our debut feature film. It’s testament to Paul’s songwriting that the world and characters within the song are so vivid, and we are proud to have the honour of bringing it to life. It’s a uniquely Australian story, made for film lovers and music fans alike. We can’t wait to share our adaptation of How To Make Gravy with the world.”
Weiss said: “From song to script to screen, it has been thrilling to see Paul Kelly’s poetry come to vivid life in the hands of Nick, Meg and our wonderful cast and crew. I can’t wait for audiences to experience this highly imaginative take on an iconic Australian tale.”
Jacqui Feeney, Screen Queensland CEO, said: “We are delighted that How to Make Gravy will be made on the Gold Coast with its world class crew and locations. Paul Kelly’s song is a true Australian classic and Screen Queensland is proud to support this creative feature film adaptation by Queenslanders Meg Washington and Nick Waterman.”
How to Make Gravy is commissioned by the Foxtel Group for BINGE and will also be available on Foxtel.
Alison Hubert Burns