Business of Media
Amazon launches streaming aggregator in bid for living room dominance
Amazon Prime Video’s Australian chief has doubled down on criticism of proposals for local content quotas on offshore streaming services, as the tech giant unveiled plans to strengthen its presence in living rooms by aggregating rival online video offerings, reports SMH’s Amelia McGuire.
The global e-commerce and cloud computing behemoth will on Tuesday launch Prime Video Channels, which will enable members to add a range of on-demand and streaming entertainment channels including Paramount+, and hayu to be viewed on any device.
Hushidar Kharas, who runs Amazon Prime Video in Australia, told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age he hopes the subscription add-ons will centralise the entertainment experience for users. “In a world where there’s constant choice and information, we want to make it as easy for customers as we can,” he said.
Aussie teens dump Facebook, Instagram, leaked internal research reveals
Facebook’s Instagram platform has seen a dramatic slump in use by young Australians, according to confidential internal documents, reports News Corp’s David Swan.
Prepared for Facebook executives, the research dated March 2021 warns of “concerning” and “problematic” declines in the amount of time teenage users in Australia are spending on the photo-sharing platform — down 9 per cent to 36 minutes a day over six months — and how much content they are producing.
The research, part of a tranche of documents lodged with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, shows the fall in use was greater in Australia than in other markets including the US, France, Britain and Japan.
The amount of content being produced by teenage users in Australia also fell 7 per cent, the data reveals.
News Brands
News Corp Australia posts $60.7m loss as pandemic takes toll on media
News Corp Australia has posted a $60.7m loss as the pandemic exacerbates ongoing upheaval throughout the media industry, reports Guardian Australia’s Tory Shepherd.
The company blamed a $167m hit to advertising revenues on regional and community closures or digital transitions.
More than 220 Australian newsrooms have shrunk or vanished since the start of the pandemic, while 111 have opened or expanded.
The Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI) collates public data for its Australian Newsroom Mapping Project. According to that data, since January 2019, News Corp Australia has had 116 “contractions”, most of which were the closure of mastheads or the cancellation of print editions. The figures show 20 News Corp newsrooms experienced growth with new websites, and it is understood an additional four News Corp websites also launched in that time.
ABC lands broadcast rights to Mardi Gras parade in three-year deal
The ABC has brokered a deal to broadcast the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade on television and radio for the next three years, including its return to Oxford Street in 2023, reports SMH’s Sarah McPhee.
On March 5, 2022, the colourful celebration of diversity will be aired on the ABC’s main channel, ABC iview and the ABC Australia international television service.
The 2022 theme is United We Shine, described by organisers as “a rallying call to stand up against hate and inequality, reminding us that when we rise as a collective, our message of love and inclusion is heard louder”.
The floats will again circle the Sydney Cricket Ground, live on the ABC from 7.30pm, moving off the traditional Oxford Street route following continued organiser concerns over COVID-19 restrictions.
Entertainment
‘Eternals’ ends Marvel’s straight “A” winning streak with audiences, but does it matter?
No winning streak is never-ending, particularly in Hollywood, reports The Hollywood Reporter’s Pamela McClintock.
Late on the evening of Nov. 5, Marvel Studios and Disney executives received word that Eternals had been slapped with a B CinemaScore by audiences, the lowest grade of any film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe pantheon, which now boasts 26 titles. Every other MCU title save for Thor, which received a B+ more than a decade ago, toward the beginning of Marvel’s renaissance, has earned some variation of an A — an enviable feat.
See More: Box Office: Shang-Chi loses the top spot to fellow Marvel film, Eternals
The lackluster audience grade, combined with the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the history of the MCU, left many box office pundits wondering whether Eternals could cross $70 million in its domestic opening, much less the $75 million Disney and Marvel had hoped for.
Television
“Australia needs to look at doing more co-productions”
Veteran Australian producer Michael McKay says Australia needs to consider more drama co-productions with Asia, reports TV Tonight.
McKay, a principal of activeTV (The Amazing Race Australia, Carols in the Domain, Good Friday Appeal, Prank Patrol, Ultimate Fighter, Tropfest), has been based in Singapore where he founded the Asian Academy Creative Awards.
“I think Australia needs to look at doing more co-productions, which means immersing themselves more, not necessarily just the US or the UK,” he tells TV Tonight.
Mitch and Mark slam judges after winning The Block: ‘You need an expert’
Block winners Mitch and Mark have come out swinging against the show’s judges after being pummelled with harsh feedback during the season, reports News Corp’s Bella Fowler.
Speaking to Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa on Monday, the series favourites admitted they gave up listening to the criticism during their build, insisting that the judges “aren’t good predictors of success”.
They also called upon Channel 9 to introduce a “real estate expert” to the judging panel instead.
It comes after the couple had called for judges and interior design experts Shaynna Blaze, Neale Whitaker and Darren Palmer to be sacked in an expletive-filled rant earlier this season when their kitchen design was criticised.
The Block winners Mitch and Mark issue statement about Tanya
This season’s winners of The Block have issued a public statement about fellow competitor Tanya, asking fans of the show to “give her a chance” in the wake of the season-long cheating scandal, reports news.com.au.
Mitch and Mark clashed angrily throughout the season with Tanya and her husband Vito, largely due to the cheating scandal that erupted early on. Tanya was found to be in possession of a top-secret photo of the show’s production schedule, a picture she claimed all season long had been sent to her by a mysterious tradie who wanted to give her a competitive advantage.
“Tanya, the purple headed girl & the face of the big lie of The Block,” the couple wrote on Instagram on Monday.