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Report: Nine not selling out of SKY News

Questions marks over the future of SKY News, with Nine reportedly disinterested in selling its one-third ownership.

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Nine will reportedly hold onto its 33% of Australian News Channel, parent company of SKY News according to media reports.

While former CEO David Gyngell had been open to a sale at the right price, his successor Hugh Marks is believed to have hardened on NEC’s stance.

The position will place a cloud over the news channel, equally owned by Seven West Media and Britain’s SKY, which, is 39.3 per cent owned by News Corp’s sister company 21st Century FOX.

SKY’s contract with Foxtel is up for renewal in December 2017 but there are suggestions Foxtel could launch its own news channel.

Fairfax notes the ANC joint venture now has to negotiate with Foxtel’s new chief executive Peter Tonagh, who was previously leading negotiations to buy Nine’s stake in ANC in his former role as chief executive of News Corp Australia.

6 Responses

  1. Sure Foxtel could open its own news channel – it would have plenty of international material to choose from.

    But just where would it get its local content from?

    Maybe that’s why Nine has decided to hold on to its stake.

    1. Sky news creates a lot of its own already with its panel shows and political editors like David spears etc. if sky news was dead, all these people would be looking for work so could easily move across.

      General news they could get from 10 – they own 15% of it anyway.

      1. Why would it have to die? Sky News could easily move to free to air as a new channel, providing commercial competition for ABC News 24.

        Or Sky News could survive as a online-only app driven offering, and have cross promotion in Plus7 (the number 1 catch up TV app) and 9Now.

        There was speculation that 10 could pick up Sky News on FTA as it is in part owned by Fox, which owns 10, and 10 is the only network not to have a 4th channel yet (that isn’t home shopping).

        Right now sky news is only in 30% of homes, and that’s disappointing as clips from it regularly hit the headlines, it would great to see it provided online for free or on FTA.

        You can watch Sky News for free now just by installing the foxtel go or play app and not logging in – sky news is the example/test channel provided for free to anyone, but most people don’t know that.

  2. Given Foxtel have only launched a HD feed for both Sky News and Sky News Business in the last 6 months I can’t see them playing hard ball and opting to not renew their contract with Sky in favour of launching their own news channels. Especially given Foxtel have Sky News manage their owned channels Sky News Weather and A-PAC – a pretty big flag indicating Foxtel don’t want to operate news channels in my opinion. The Sky News portfolio will continue on Foxtel, the only questions will be how much will Foxtel pay for them and who will be the owners…

  3. Channel 9 will lose in the end. Foxtel will just run down the clock on the contract and a new news channel will open. The value is in the contract with Foxtel. No contract no value.

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