Get the Picture - Subscription TV - Industry structure

HOME

SUBSCRIPTION TV

Industry structure: Markets and ownership

Ownership, areas of operation and delivery systems for the main subscription TV operators, October 2008

Next update September 2009

Foxtel and Optus are the main subscription TV players in the main metropolitan areas, with Foxtel now ‘wholesaling’ its services to Optus, and both Optus and Foxtel-shareholder Telstra ‘bundling’ subscription TV as part of their telecommunications and Internet packages. Austar provides services in regional and rural areas, as well as Hobart and Darwin. There are also smaller companies that serve a particular area like Neighborhood Cable (regional Victoria) and TransACT (ACT).

	Ownership	Areas of operation	Delivery systems
Foxtel	Telstra 50%; News Corporation 25%; Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd (CMH) 25%	Five metropolitan markets (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth) and the Gold Coast	Cable, DTH satellite
Optus TV	Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) 100%	Three metropolitan markets (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane)	Cable
Austar United Communications Ltd	Liberty Global Inc. (United Austar Partners) 54%; public shareholders 46%	Regional markets, as well as Darwin and Hobart	DTH satellite cable (only in Darwin)
SelecTV	WIN Corporation 100%	Regional and metropolitan markets	DTH satellite
Neighborhood Cable	TransAct 100%	Mildura, Ballarat Geelong	Cable
TransACT	Shareholders: ACTEW Corporation Limited; TVG TransAct Holdings SCA; Jemena ATA Pty Ltd; Prime Television Limited; MTAA Superannuation Fund (TransACT) Utilities Pty Ltd; Westscheme Pty Ltd; Australian Capital Ventures Limited.	Canberra, Queanbeyan and parts of regional NSW	Cable

Source: www.foxtel.com.au, www.optus.com.au, www.austarunited.com.au, www.neighborhoodcable.com.au, www.transact.com.au, www.selectv.com

Notes: DTH, or direct-to-home, usually refers to satellite delivery.