Latest Reports
Latest Reports
Venture Insights reports inform and enable better decision making through independent, objective, and high quality insights, analysis and thought leadership across the media, digital and teleco industries in Australia and New Zealand and with global insight from our European partner, Enders.
Tech
All companies are impacted by the evolution of technology and the changes in consumer behaviour that it enables. Our reports explore macro tech trends such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, drones, robotics, to determine how different industries will be impacted.
Media
The pace of change in the media industry has reached unprecedented levels. Global challengers are disrupting long established incumbents and attracting sky high valuations.
Telco
The wireless data revolution and cloud service provision are transforming the telco sector. Ambitious companies are investing in infrastructure, device innovation and cloud solutions as demand continues to explode.
Energy
As the energy sector transitions from fossil fuels to renewables, technology is driving changes in generation, distribution, storage and consumption. We track the challengers, the impact on incumbents and the policy debate.
Health
Technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, wearables and apps, coupled with genomics and the personalisation of health, are transforming the consumption, provision and management of healthcare. This healthtech revolution is being driven by consumers and healthcare providers alike.
Fintech
Fintechs are transforming the financial services market. Established players are responding through a mix of investment and innovation. Our reports cover areas such as lending, neo-banks, payments, robo-advice, insurtech and blockchain.
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December 13, 2018ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry – Google and Facebook have just [...]
Flash Report, ReportsOn 11th December 2018, the ACCC released its preliminary report on the Digital Platforms Inquiry, and one thing is certain – Google and Facebook won’t be happy after reading it. The draft recommendations are extensive and call for significant changes to privacy and consumer protection laws and new regulatory oversight to monitor and curb the market power exerted by Google and Facebook.Sector Media. -
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December 11, 20185G Update December 2018 – Telstra leading the race to 5G
Flash Report, ReportsQ4 2018 has been a busy time for 5G players with the government auctioning valuable spectrum bands and an update on Telstra’s progress on 5G. Australia is tracking well to have initial 5G services in 2019. This will enable strong growth in devices and mobile data consumption. -
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December 11, 2018Hulu casts a spell
Flash Report, ReportsWhen its acquisition of 21st Century Fox closes, Disney will own 60% of Hulu. If it bought Comcast’s 30% stake (and WarnerMedia’s 10%), it could fully leverage the platform for its US direct-to-consumer strategy. Comcast’s Hulu stake has little strategic value to it. We argue it should sell to Disney in exchange for long-term supply deals for ESPN, as well as for the upcoming Disney+ and Hulu, similar to its recent pacts with Amazon Prime and Netflix. This could naturally be extended to Sky in Europe depending on whether Disney decides to launch all direct-to-consumer or sticks with pay-TV in certain markets. -
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December 7, 2018Virgin Media UK Q3 2018 results: Cautiously accelerating growth
Flash Report, ReportsVirgin Media’s revenue growth accelerated in Q3, off the back of improved subscriber ARPU and triple play growth, but actual customer and broadband figures slowed in line with the weakening market. Network roll-out was still (deliberately) slow, with the rate now well below the previous year, and the company indicating that it is not expecting to accelerate, although it is still the fastest new network builder in the UK by some margin. Both the ARPU focus and slow roll-out point to a cautious approach, with the company happier to ensure its existing customers offer good yields than to seek significant market share growth at this stage, which is probably wise. -
December 6, 2018Refocus imperative at Vodafone UK
Flash Report, ReportsVodafone’s deteriorating financial performance is as much due to an increasing margin of underperformance relative to its peers as to challenging markets such as Italy. A strategic refocus on operational performance is long overdue and seems largely sensible, save for the continued push for discount-led convergence products which are driving underperformance. Although Vodafone posted 3% organic EBITDA growth for H1 of this year and is guiding to same for the full year, we view this definition as overly flattering with true EBITDA performance flat and revenues in decline. -
December 5, 2018TalkTalk stabilising, but strong growth evasive
Focus Report, ReportsTalkTalk had very solid Q2 and H1 results, with broadband net adds staying positive, high speed net adds accelerating, revenue growth above 3% and EBITDA rebounding back to growth. This was helped at the revenue line by a price increase in the quarter and in EBITDA terms by steep Openreach price reductions, with strong revenue growth and any EBITDA growth hard to replicate once these effects have annualised out. The company has nonetheless stabilised its subscriber base, revenue and profitability after some erratic years, with cost-cutting providing some potential for growth going forward. -
December 5, 2018Classifieds Marketing Outlook: All Segments
Focus Report, ReportsFor decades, classifieds were the domain of newspapers, which offered advertisers cheap ads sorted under specific categories. The ads gave shoppers an easy way to browse various local offers, usually from private sellers. But, the jump from print to digital was inevitable and has proven itself to be quite lucrative for digital players. However, in the past few years, as the online classifieds market matures, leading digital classifieds players are attempting to diversify their revenues into new products and services. This is being driven by the need to ensure new sources of revenue growth and to drive customer acquisition and loyalty. In the real estate market, REA and Domain have introduced adjacent services such as mortgage broking and data analytics. In the recruitment market, LinkedIn and SEEK have been investing in technology companies involved in temporary hire, skill development, alternative recruitment and employee engagement. -
December 4, 2018SVOD in the US and UK: A tale of three-player markets
Focus Report, ReportsThere is a belief in some quarters that there is space for a myriad of large SVOD services in the UK. Like the UK, the US market is dominated by three services, but there is also evidence that there is appetite for further offerings: Netflix households tend to take a secondary SVOD service to complement Netflix’s content library, and are likely to take up a third service, and in some cases a fourth and fifth. Potential domestic UK services will struggle to compete with the resources that foreign tech giants can marshal, along with NOW TV’s steady position and top content. -
December 3, 2018O2 UK: scope for outperformance near-term, solid results thereaft [...]
Focus Report, ReportsO2 has managed to deliver a solid financial performance over the past several quarters in spite of network constraints which are now resolved. With signs that they are becoming more assertive in the market, and with continued brand strength and low churn, there is scope for that performance to hasten from here. Over the medium to long term, turnaround plans from the other MNOs could thwart outperformance by O2 but with an holistic culture of leading-edge marketing and innovation, we expect at least sustained solid results. -
November 30, 2018UK HFSS TV watershed idea should be put to bed
Focus Report, ReportsThe ban on pre-9pm TV ads for HFSS (high in fat, salt or sugar) products being considered by the Government would not play a constructive or quantifiable role in reversing the UK’s rising childhood obesity rates. The ban on HFSS product ads since 2008 around children’s programming has not impeded the inexorable rise of childhood obesity. In 2010, Ofcom termed an HFSS watershed ban ‘disproportionate’ and ‘ineffective’. In 2018, a watershed ban would be even less effective. Children’s linear broadcast TV viewing is down by half since 2010, mainly to YouTube’s advantage, which benefits from light-touch HFSS regulation. -
November 29, 2018Automotive Marketing Outlook 2018
Market Outlook, ReportsAfter hitting record highs in March 2018, new car sales have recorded their seventh straight month of declining sales numbers as declining property prices and higher fuel costs are driving households to curb big-ticket purchases. Vehicle sales for October 2018 were 90,178 vehicles, down 5.3% YoY. Passenger cars declined 23.6% YoY driven in part by the preference for Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) which accounted for 44% of all new car sales in Australia for October 2018. While disruptors such as carsharing platforms (carnextdoor and goget) are reducing the need for car-ownership, there hasn’t been any visible impact on the automotive advertising market. We forecast Automotive Display Adex to grow at a 13.2% CAGR through to 2022 to A$891.2mn. Carsales is one of the largest players in the Australian online auto advertising market with a share of 37% in car listing volumes. Its average session duration is approximately two times that of its closest competitor, while the average number of daily unique visitors to its website is 57% higher. -
November 28, 2018Telemedicine and AI Outlook in Primary Care
Flash Report, ReportsIn this report, we provide a brief overview of ‘telemedicine’ including a 2035 forecast of the impact of telehealth tools, both human and artificial intelligence, in relation to ‘unreferred medical services’2 in the primary health market. This report does not assess or analyse the full potential for telemedicine which derives from other applications, such as remote surgical operations, sharing of digital health records or remote patient monitoring. These activities clearly would have significant additional benefits to the those explored in this report. The report outlines the importance of primary care in shaping Australian health and seizing ever-increasing health costs. -
November 27, 2018Telemedicine in Australia
Flash Report, ReportsIn this report, we provide a brief overview of ‘telemedicine’ and business models associated with provision of telemedicine services along with barriers that may slow down adoption of the online tool. Venture Insights believes that telemedicine will play an important tool in scoping the primary care in Australia- changing the way GPs deliver their services. We believe that the inefficiencies in healthcare, growing health costs and rising demand for quality care lead to a rising need for disruption: tools that can reduce costs while driving access to care. -
November 20, 2018BT Q2 2018/19 results: Beating expectations, guidance still look [...]
Flash Report, ReportsBT’s Q2 results were well ahead of both its full year guidance run-rate and financial market expectations, with revenue flat and EBITDA up 3% versus guidance and consensus at -2% for both metrics. Operating metrics were more mixed, with broadband churn high and (our estimate of) net adds low, but fixed ARPU was solid, backed up by rapid adoption of BT Plus, fibre adoption re-accelerated and mobile was strong across all metrics. While part of the outperformance was likely due to H1/H2 phasing, it also reflects fairly conservative expectations and a solid operating performance, and hence full year guidance still looks very beatable, with a positive outlook beyond this. -
November 19, 2018Australian Mobile Telco Market Outlook
Market Outlook, ReportsThe Australian mobile market has been traditionally characterised as a mature market with steady growth driven by population growth and mobile broadband. However, this market is about to see strong innovation (5G) and disruption (TPG-Vodafone merger) in the next few years. We forecast the mobile market will remain the largest segment in the overall telco market with A$22.3bn in revenue by 2022. With the merger between TPG and Vodafone to form a third full service telco in the market, we expect the competitive intensity to increase with incumbents facing pricing and margin pressure from 2018-19 onwards. However, despite TPG’s aggressive initial pricing and service offering, at this stage we have been conservative in our estimates with respect to TPG-Vodafone’s impact on incumbent market shares as we expect a gradual subscriber take-up of the network over 2018-2022. The arrival of 5G and emergence of wireless access to the Internet as an alternative to fixed broadband means that the mobile market will continue to experience strong growth, with ARPUs steadying. Venture Insights believes that 5G coupled with IoT will enable the transition from a connectivity based revenue model to a services based revenue model for mobile operators. -
November 16, 2018UK PSB SVOD
Flash Report, ReportsThe Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) have been mulling a possible SVOD service, a decade after their ad-supported Project Kangaroo was blocked on competition grounds. Even if a reboot between the BBC and ITV were this time to be approved, we do not think Kangaroo 2 can succeed as a significant SVOD entrant in its home turf of the UK, above all because it’s too late. Other flaws in the offer are that it would be too small, non-premium, too old (archive), and too old (viewing profile), plus lacking sufficient financial resource to produce a pipeline of unique series. -
November 15, 2018UBS Conference: What could the media landscape look like in 5 yea [...]
Flash Report, ReportsVenture Insights attended the annual UBS Investors Conference for 2018 on 12th and 13th November, with a number of interesting panels across the two days. The participants of the Media panel were unanimous in their view that while digital remains an important area of growth, traditional media operators are starting to get their act together and are aligning their offerings more closely with customer preferences. -
November 15, 2018UBS Australasia Conference – 5G’s accelerating progress
Flash Report, ReportsVenture Insights attended the annual UBS Investors Conference for 2018 on 12th and 13th November, with a number of interesting panels across the two days. The participants of the 5G panel moderated by Venture Insights commented on the positive effects 5G will have on not just the telco industry but also verticals such as healthcare, transportation and manufacturing. -
November 13, 2018BBC drama: a loosening grip
Flash Report, ReportsA string of big, bold hits like Bodyguard, Killing Eve and Little Drummer Girl has reinvigorated the perception of the BBC’s drama schedule, with massive ratings and a coveted place in the public conversation. However, the lack of the broadcaster’s top dramas actually produced by BBC Studios—declining to just 4 of the top 25 in 2018—is cause for ongoing concern. At a time when the BBC is attempting to bulk up the iPlayer and programme IP has become the bedrock broadcasting asset, the BBC could be better placed. -
November 13, 2018Misplaced UK media spend in a booming identity economy: a brand o [...]
Focus Report, ReportsMost UK consumer spending, and the vast majority of its growth, is in categories which reflect who we are and where we feel we belong: lifestyle signifiers, passions, and social activities. Communities are at the heart of this growing economy, but ad spend on media which visibly targets us as members of a group in a relevant context has on average lagged behind in these categories. Advertisers recognising the power of emotionally and culturally relevant context in media, sponsorships or events, are finding an opportunity for building brands for the identity economy. -
November 12, 2018
Radcomms 2018 & the upcoming 3.6GHz spectrum auctions
Flash Report, ReportsACMA’s premier conference Radcomms 2018 was held on October 30-31 with industry experts presenting and discussing a range of topical issues regarding spectrum regulation, new emerging trends and industry policies. Australia’s spectrum regulation should be fast tracked to enable telcos to deploy next generation technologies faster to consumers. We expect strong competition for spectrum in the upcoming 3.6GHz auction. -
November 6, 2018Recruitment Marketing Outlook
Market Outlook, ReportsThe Net Employment Outlook for 2018 for Australia has improved compared to CY2017—Employment Outlook peaked at 13% (a six-year high) in March 2018, before falling to 11% in September 2018. Unemployment rate decreased to 5.0% (a six-year low) in September 2018 from 5.5% in August 2017. Seek is the dominant player in the job boards industry, while LinkedIn is a dominant player in the Professional Networks space. While alternative job boards exist, they are unlikely to challenge Seek’s dominance at least in the Australian market. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are transforming the industry by allowing recruitment companies to offer better job recommendations and data driven insights -
November 5, 2018UK Radio’s evolution towards a digital future
Market Outlook, ReportsRadio faces challenges from Spotify and other online audio propositions, while the radio “dial” is challenged by smart speakers and global tech. UK radio broadcasters have risen to the occasion through innovation. New DAB stations have helped radio achieve record audiences and revenues. Combined digital listening is now over 50%, but FM remains the primary platform. The current mix of FM/AM and digital maintains radio’s relevance for the medium term. The long-term future is digital—a wide-ranging sector review is required to determine how to support digital radio’s growth and the question of a future switchover. -
November 2, 2018
UK PSB solidarity and collaboration
Focus Report, ReportsThe Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) are in the process of sliding from TV dominance to middling contenders, in terms of content expenditure and significance to viewers. There are calls from many sides that the PSBs need to collaborate in order to thrive, in an era when global debt-funded SVOD services are making all the running. This note explores what can realistically be achieved by PSB collaboration; where partnerships work best; and the areas best avoided. -
November 2, 2018AI and Genomics in Healthcare
Flash Report, ReportsGiven the unsustainability of health expenditure growth rates, we explore how AI and genomics might assist Australia to achieve higher quality health services at lower costs. We provide a definition and analyse main drivers and impacts of implementing AI and genomics in medicine. -
November 1, 2018Australian Telecommunications Market Outlook
Market Outlook, Reports- The introduction and the rollout of the NBN has been one of the key inflection points in the Australian telco market. However, as the rollout progresses, complaints continue and the tug-of war with RSPs over CVC charges continues. This discord has led to both major and smaller RSPs experiencing a tight squeeze on margins and opportunities for bypass options
- The Mobile segment continues its upward march but the market is about to see the impacts of a new wave of innovation (5G, IoT) and disruption (TPG Vodafone merger) in the next few years. This will severely impact fixed line broadband and nbn’s business case
- The merger between TPG and Vodafone will create a strong third MNO in Australia and long term competition and pricing pressure with Optus and Telstra
- Growth and broader acceptance in public cloud solutions is driving growth in the data markets as the corporate market is increasingly consolidating their voice, data and applications traffic
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October 31, 2018US department stores, Amazon, and omnichannel fashion retail
Market Outlook, ReportsAmazon is finding women’s fashion, a missing piece of its household-centric model, a tougher nut to crack than downmarket apparel. Higher-end US department stores are pushing back with an omnichannel model, emphasising long-term partnerships, a clever full-price/outlet model, and experiences which cross the online-offline divide. In apparel, Amazon and big box retailers have already triumphed over lower-tier American department stores, and even prestigious fashion brands are finding it harder and harder to refuse cooperation with the giants. -
October 30, 2018Neobanks – The David against banking Goliaths?
Focus Report, ReportsThe banking industry has traditionally displayed inertia to major disruption and innovation. With the rise of neobanks in Europe and the UK, and the arrival of Australia’s first neobanks; Volt, Xinja and 86 400, this may be set to change as the younger generation of customers increasingly adopt more digital and customer-centric banking services. -
October 26, 2018Video Entertainment Market Outlook: The overall Video Entertainme [...]
Market Outlook, ReportsWe anticipate the Australian video market to marginally decline from A$5.48bn in 2018 to A$5.33bn in 2023 driven by a deflationary shift from traditional to digital platforms. While we don’t expect the overall size of the video entertainment market to decline materially, we do expect platform share to change dramatically over the next five years. Pay-TV will remain under pressure as the way video is consumed and paid for changes. Foxtel will offset some of this pressure by its participation in the xVOD market albeit this market will be heavily contested with multiple new players emerging. -
October 25, 2018Disney, Fox, Sky and Comcast: future relationships
Focus Report, ReportsWith Comcast’s acquisition of Sky confirmed and Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox on the path to regulatory clearance, how will the relationships of the various parties evolve?. Disney is betting on a standalone SVOD service in the US. However, its content deal with Sky in Europe is lucrative, and the performance of DisneyLife in the UK suggests its US strategy may not fit elsewhere. Sky’s relationships with Disney and Fox are crucial to its business. A joint pursuit to maximise returns from IP and distribution in Europe would be economically efficient for both Comcast/Sky and Disney/Fox. -
October 22, 2018New Zealand consumer interest growing for 5G mobile
Flash Report, ReportsVenture Insights’ latest New Zealand consumer mobile survey demonstrates growing 5G interest with video streaming and fixed wireless broadband shaping up to be key use cases. Leadership in 5G network rollout is likely to provide strong benefits from the acquisition of early adopters from competing networks. -
October 17, 2018Property Advertising Market Outlook
Market Outlook, ReportsEven as the RBA chooses to keep interest rates stable, the Federal Government has implemented measures to cool the rising property market. This has resulted in a decline in new listings and housing sales in major cities and a decline in real estate purchases by foreign buyers. Macroeconomic indicators, such as GDP growth, household income and consumption continue to strengthen, with labour participation increasing and the unemployment rate falling to 5.4% in June as 41,200 full time jobs were created. The RBA continues to maintain the cash rate at the same level due to a below-target inflation rate and high consumer debt that makes many households’ consumption rates sensitive to the mortgage rate. Household debt recently reached 190.0% of total annualised household income. The online real estate classified market is dominated by two players, the REA Group and Domain, which together hold 98.0% of the market. Both players reported strong annual results, with about 20% revenue growth for FY18. Despite the dominance of the two players, new start-ups continue to enter the market in the hopes of grabbing a slice of the lucrative property classifieds market. However, to date, none have gained any material traction in the Australian market. -
October 16, 2018Future Trends In Telecom and Video: Comms Day Melbourne Congress
Focus Report, ReportsOn 10th October 2018, Venture Insight’s Managing Director Nigel Pugh, presented Venture’s recent Australian Mobile Survey results at the Comms Day Congress in Melbourne. The presentation includes Venture’s survey results and views on (i) consumer 5G awareness, migration and the battle for the early adopter market segment, (ii) consumer usage of mobile video and streaming services, (iii) 5G use case for mobile and telco media bundling, (iv) 5G use case for fixed wireless and (v) messaging usage versus traditional applications. -
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October 13, 2018Venture Advisory Monthly Wrap – September 2018
Free Sample, Monthly wrap, ReportsVenture Advisory provides a review of leading Australasian telco, media and technology companies on a monthly basis. This review considers amongst other things share price performers ( best and worst performers during the month), company news flow and ASX release updates and respective valuation trading multiples. The report is designed for busy executives and investment professionals that want to get a flash update and stay on top of key news flow. If you wish to find out more or have an deeper enquiry please feel free to contact Nigel Pugh or Sarah Houghton.$0.00 -
October 11, 2018UK Esports & broadcasters: No game for old players
Focus Report, ReportsDrawn by its rapid growth and enviably youthful audience profile, incumbent broadcasters are paying increased attention to esports and its followers. Viewership of esports on UK broadcasters’ linear channels is low, with consumption on their online platforms likely the same. The market’s fragmented nature and global audience, along with the dominance of Twitch—and to a lesser extent YouTube—makes this unlikely to change. Broadcasters’ low-cost approach has primarily benefited competition organisers and games publishers. For broadcasters to create real revenues, massive upfront investment would be needed, with the risk of failure high. -
October 9, 2018The role of IoT in the Healthcare Industry
Flash Report, ReportsIoT is set to transform the healthcare industry enabling ease of data collection, analysis and bringing medical services into patients’ hands.. Advanced procedures and real time services can be made possible, improving efficiency and reducing redundant costs. However, there are many hurdles that need to be overcome for the IoT vision to be realised and will likely take many years. -
October 5, 2018Apple – Price is the object: the iPhone and its services
Focus Report, ReportsWith a carefully priced, strong line-up of iPhones, Apple will consolidate its main revenue line and core user base in the near term. The latter feeds into a services business showing impressive growth, but which is also marked by missed opportunities and mounting negative consequences on the rest of the online ecosystem. For media businesses, Apple’s impact is larger than ever, inevitably leading to new kinds of friction around commercial terms, App store policies and browser features. -
October 4, 2018From promises to practice: AI in marketing at DMEXCO 2018
Focus Report, ReportsAt DMEXCO, the top online advertising conference in continental Europe, a call for responsibility took centre stage rhetorically, but was hardly reflected on the conference floor. In contrast, concrete, on-the market applications of AI in advertising were no longer a rarity, with businesses from ad tech to consultancies demonstrating case studies in campaign management, consumer segmentation and personalisation. The industry is betting that the ePrivacy Regulation will be canned as policymakers fear Chinese and American dominance in AI, but the Chinese giants still had a confused marketing pitch at DMEXCO.Sector Media. -
October 3, 2018What Sky means for Comcast
Focus Report, ReportsComcast’s £30.6 billion acquisition of Sky brings to an end the long-running ownership battle since Disney agreed to tender Fox’s 39% stake to Comcast, also ending the Murdoch Family Trust’s interest in Sky. Comcast’s US domestic cable and global NBCU media businesses complement Sky’s European operation. Sky’s telecoms business is likely to expand, while the TV side should benefit from NBCU’s global distribution might, with greater revenues generated by its original content. Fox’s long-running battle with UK regulators over the public interest dimensions of the proposed Sky acquisition has also ended. Plurality of media is preserved by Comcast’s undertakings to support Sky News for 10 years. -
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October 2, 2018Mobile payments – Australia moving from cashless to walletless?
Free Sample, ReportsThe Australian payments ecosystem has seen considerable disruption in the last decade with new technologies, innovations and new industry players changing the way we pay. In particular, contactless payments has laid the foundation for mobile payments with consumers increasingly looking to ditch their cards and wallets in favour of digital wallets or mobile payment apps.$0.00 -
September 27, 2018Mobile Video, 5G Adoption and Telco Media Strategies
Flash Report, ReportsTelcos, both globally and locally, have increasingly turned to media and content, in particular sports content, to provide diversification, differentiation and to turn around slowing growth in revenue and ARPUs. Venture Insights’ latest mobile survey shows strong interest in both 5G adoption and mobile video usage – indicating a clear consumer use case for 5G.Sector Telecom. -
September 26, 2018
Telcos and the battle for HDMI 1 – bringing everything under on [...]
Focus Report, ReportsThe rise of SVOD platforms has driven a significant change in TV viewing habits with viewers having an unprecedented choice of content. The result is a fragmented video market which has made it increasingly complex for users to manage the various sources of content that are available.Sector Media. -
September 19, 2018TPG FY18 earnings update: Steady, as merger approaches
Focus Report, ReportsOn 18th September 2018, TPG announced its full FY18 financial results as an independent entity. Consumer performance has declined slightly, but TPG has extracted value out of its fibre assets in the corporate segment. Overall, the outlook for TPG is positive as it looks to utilise Vodafone’s mobile capabilities and branding to complement its own broadband strengths. -
September 18, 2018nbn Corporate Plan 2019 – challenging times ahead
Focus Report, Reportsnbn recently released its Corporate Plan 2019. Key performance targets were not met largely due to a delay in the HFC rollout, and as a result future forecasts were downgraded, and revenues deferred. As the rollout passes the halfway mark, nbn must focus on sustaining infrastructure quality, adopting a successful wholesale pricing strategy and address customer complaints issues. -
September 17, 2018UK Broadcast TV is growing very old, very quickly
Market Outlook, ReportsUK mobile market service revenue grew by 1.7% in Q2, up from 1.3% in the previous quarter, a disappointing result in the context of boosts from both IFRS 15 accounting and the annual price rises in the quarter. O2 was the star performer this quarter, with its service revenue growth leaping ahead to claim the top spot. BT/EE’s service revenue growth declined on an underlying basis, with weak contract net adds over the last six months catching up with it, and H3G and Vodafone were slightly improved and steady respectively excluding some one-off effects. Next quarter, the impact from the EU roaming cuts will annualise out, providing a substantial fillip to all operators. Ceteris paribus, this would put market growth in the vicinity of 4%, a figure not reached for years. -
September 13, 2018IoT Impact 2018 – Preparing Australia for IoT
Flash Report, ReportsThe inaugural hosting of Australia’s largest Internet of things (IoT) conference and expo IoT Impact was held at the University of Technology, Sydney on 10-11 September 2018. IoT is truly here to stay and already making huge impacts across a variety of sectors. Government and private companies need to collaborate to ensure successful implementation of IoT to deliver long term benefits. -
September 11, 2018UK mobile market Q2 2018: Disappointment before dawn
Market Outlook, ReportsUK mobile market service revenue grew by 1.7% in Q2, up from 1.3% in the previous quarter, a disappointing result in the context of boosts from both IFRS 15 accounting and the annual price rises in the quarter. O2 was the star performer this quarter, with its service revenue growth leaping ahead to claim the top spot. BT/EE’s service revenue growth declined on an underlying basis, with weak contract net adds over the last six months catching up with it, and H3G and Vodafone were slightly improved and steady respectively excluding some one-off effects. Next quarter, the impact from the EU roaming cuts will annualise out, providing a substantial fillip to all operators. Ceteris paribus, this would put market growth in the vicinity of 4%, a figure not reached for years. -
September 10, 2018Japan’s recorded music market starts to stream
Flash Report, ReportsRecorded music revenues in Japan are stuck in decline as physical sales sag, although 2017 marks the first year when streaming gained a foothold with 8 million subscribers. J-pop fans spend on 'experiences' with their idols including events, merchandise, CDs and DVDs, which streaming cannot replicate. Top native LINE MUSIC offers integration with a popular messaging app and bundling with mobile. Serving international repertoire, Apple Music claims more subscribers than Spotify in Japan, which is more localised, and has most users on the free tier. Amazon Prime Music is a looming constraint on the adoption of subscriptions. -
September 5, 2018
High 5G consumer interest keeps pressure on network rollout
Flash Report, ReportsOperator positioning for 5G network plans in Australia and New Zealand continues to pick up pace – as Venture Insights’ latest consumer mobile survey demonstrates strong interest from Australian consumers. Leadership in 5G network rollout is likely to provide strong benefits from the acquisition of early adopters from competing networks.Sector Telecom. -
September 4, 2018When an Amazon TV show wins a Golden Globe, Amazon sells more sho [...]
Focus Report, ReportsOver the past two decades, Amazon has grown to become the largest ecommerce player in the world. But to think of it as just an online retailer would be underestimating its presence across multiple other services and markets. Within this, Amazon Video is fast emerging as a key pillar of Amazon’s overall business as it uses video to increase Prime memberships and improve user stickiness on the Amazon platform.
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October 30, 2018
Neobanks – The David against banking Goliaths?
Focus Report, ReportsThe banking industry has traditionally displayed inertia to major disruption and innovation. With the rise of neobanks in Europe and the UK, and the arrival of Australia’s first neobanks; Volt, Xinja and 86 400, this may be set to change as the younger generation of customers increasingly adopt more digital and customer-centric banking services. -
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Mobile payments – Australia moving from cashless to walletless?
Free Sample, ReportsThe Australian payments ecosystem has seen considerable disruption in the last decade with new technologies, innovations and new industry players changing the way we pay. In particular, contactless payments has laid the foundation for mobile payments with consumers increasingly looking to ditch their cards and wallets in favour of digital wallets or mobile payment apps.$0.00 -
July 6, 2018Westpac leads the Fintech investment charge
Focus Report, ReportsAustralia’s largest banks have been very active in the fintech market. This report explores the investments that they have made and considers their contrasting approaches to those investments. -
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April 24, 2018AltFi Conference 2018 – Growth with transparency
Flash Report, Free Sample, ReportsVenture Insights attended the annual AltFi Australasian Conference on April 15th 2018. The key takeaway from the conference was that the Fintech Industry in Australia is growing at a fast rate and the industry is optimistic about the Federal Government’s Open Banking initiative.$0.00 -
April 17, 2018IoT & Cryptocurrency Mining: Cyber Security Update
Focus Report, ReportsThe Internet of Things represents a significant and growing target area for cyber criminals. The growth in cryptocurrencies is focussing cyber criminals on the benefits of crypto-mining malware. Individuals, businesses and governments need to include IoT related cyber risks in their security controls and plans. -
September 21, 2017The growth of Insurtech – Insurance companies should be worried
Focus Report, Free Sample, ReportsIn terms of new global investment, Insurtech has been one of the fastest growing Fintech segments over the last eighteen months – and it is now starting to pick up pace in Australia. This report explains what Insurtech is and why it matters. -
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August 16, 2017Follow the Money
Focus Report, Free Sample, ReportsAustralia’s VC market continued to advance, with over US$670m of investments made in FY17. Investments were supported by favourable economic and business conditions and record-high fundraising activities.$0.00 -
July 14, 2017Lending Disruption – Fact or fiction?
Free Sample, ReportsThe big four banking oligopoly have had a highly profitable run over the last five years. During this time start-ups have emerged to challenge the dominance of the banks in both consumer lending and business lending markets. Whilst the challengers are growing and gaining traction, the odds are still stacked against many of them. Will they survive and what are the likely outcomes?
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May 25, 2017Disruption in Payments: Time to throw out your wallet?
ReportsAs the usage of cash declines, we are trending towards a cashless society supported by new payment technologies.Within the next decade, cashless methods will be preferred, and have mostly positive implications for both businesses and consumers.However, cash will still be with us and being used for well over the next 20 years.
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May 17, 2017A$1bn at stake for fund managers from Robo-Advice disruption
ReportsRobo-advice can offer a lower cost structure, similar financial results and greater transparency over traditional asset managers and is going to have a significant impact on the wealth management industry.
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November 28, 2018
Telemedicine and AI Outlook in Primary Care
Flash Report, ReportsIn this report, we provide a brief overview of ‘telemedicine’ including a 2035 forecast of the impact of telehealth tools, both human and artificial intelligence, in relation to ‘unreferred medical services’2 in the primary health market. This report does not assess or analyse the full potential for telemedicine which derives from other applications, such as remote surgical operations, sharing of digital health records or remote patient monitoring. These activities clearly would have significant additional benefits to the those explored in this report. The report outlines the importance of primary care in shaping Australian health and seizing ever-increasing health costs. -
November 27, 2018
Telemedicine in Australia
Flash Report, ReportsIn this report, we provide a brief overview of ‘telemedicine’ and business models associated with provision of telemedicine services along with barriers that may slow down adoption of the online tool. Venture Insights believes that telemedicine will play an important tool in scoping the primary care in Australia- changing the way GPs deliver their services. We believe that the inefficiencies in healthcare, growing health costs and rising demand for quality care lead to a rising need for disruption: tools that can reduce costs while driving access to care. -
November 2, 2018
AI and Genomics in Healthcare
Flash Report, ReportsGiven the unsustainability of health expenditure growth rates, we explore how AI and genomics might assist Australia to achieve higher quality health services at lower costs. We provide a definition and analyse main drivers and impacts of implementing AI and genomics in medicine. -
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February 19, 2018Top Australian Healthcare Tech trends to watch in 2018
Flash Report, Free Sample, Reports$0.00Digital and mobile technologies are providing the foundation for many emerging healthcare innovations that are disrupting the Australian healthcare market. To keep pace with this continuous transformation, healthcare operators will need to embrace new technologies to improve health outcomes, be cost effective and provide timely care.
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October 11, 2017Game of Genomes – decoding the future of healthcare
Free Sample, ReportsMainstream genomics is still nascent but further decline in sequencing costs will drive adoption. Unprecedented intelligence (i.e. big data) involving the genotypic and phenotypic data of individuals will completely reengineer our health system over the next decade. Genomics is a game changer that will reshape not only the clinical health system but also our personal wellness and lifestyle decisions. -
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September 6, 2017National Digital Health Strategy – one byte at a time
Free Sample, ReportsIt’s time to move on from relying on doctors’ memories and the pulling together of fragmented information from across the health system. The National Digital Health Strategy outlines the transformation of the Australian healthcare system from a paper-based records system to a digital one that ensures the right information, at the right place and at the right time.$0.00 -
August 10, 2017
Disruption in Aged Care – Rise of the Silver Surfer
ReportsAustralia is in the early stages of a ‘silver tsunami’ that will play out over the next three decades. Like its population, the aged care industry is getting long in the tooth and the convergence of an ageing population, aged care reforms, evolving business models and technological disruption is about to reshape multiple areas of the aged care ecosystem. -
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November 6, 2015Disruption In – Disruption is good for health
Free Sample, ReportsOur proprietary Disruption Framework has identified the Healthcare industry as vulnerable to disruption. We estimate that A$23b of A$130b (revenue) is susceptible to disruption with a proportion of this at risk with big data in eHealth, point of care testing and mHealth emerging as the key disruptive trends. We believe Telstra will lead the disruption in healthcare.
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January 23, 2018Wind Farms – Adding wind to Australia’s energy sails
Flash Report, Free Sample, ReportsWind energy already accounts for 30 percent of renewable generation and over 5 percent of total electricity generation in Australia. Falling development and generation costs will drive the growth of wind as an energy source into the future.$0.00 -
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November 6, 2017Green Hydrogen – Opportunity or hype?
Flash Report, Free Sample, ReportsHydrogen as an energy carrier has long been discussed as a pathway to a greener future and although technology progress has been slow, recent developments point to tangible progress.Diversity of sources, security and flexibility within Australia’s energy system is the key to a reliable energy future; hydrogen could play an important role alongside other energy technologies. -
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October 13, 2017Energy Roundtable Breakfast – key findings
Focus Report, Free Sample, ReportsWhat will Australia’s energy future look like in 2030? Will it be business as usual? …… a utopian renewable energy reliant world? …… one powered by nuclear? …… or one with high technological consumption control?
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September 13, 2017AEMO Report – exacerbating our issues not finding solutions
Flash Report, Free Sample, ReportsAEMO’s report to the Government appropriately highlights the risks to the NEM following closure of key dispatchable capacity. However, the report and the Government’s reaction adds to the hysteria rather than addressing policy that provides incentives to invest in appropriate generation assets.$0.00 -
August 30, 2017‘Charging’ ahead – Five key trends reshaping the electricit [...]
Free Sample, ReportsThe traditional electricity industry is under significant pressure as rapid advances in technology are upending the electricity value chain. Disruption in electricity is no longer an ‘if’. Think when, how fast and how big. Batteries, renewables, prosumers and distributed electricity systems, electric vehicles and the Internet of Energy are the key trends leading the charge. -
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August 4, 2017Residential rooftop solar set to soar
Flash Report, Free Sample, ReportsSolar rooftop economics are approaching a tipping point. Not only does electricity generated from residential rooftop solar households reduce greenhouse gas emissions, recent market trends indicate residential rooftop solar is the solution for households to withstand increasing electricity prices. -
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July 18, 2017Disruption in Electricity – an electrifying start to a sunny fu [...]
Free Sample, ReportsWith the appropriate political and regulatory support and after years in the wilderness Australia now approaches a period of rapid change to the way in which it produces and consumes energy. This will mark the end of a ‘lazy’ era of burning fossil fuels and propel Australia’s energy sector toward being regarded as highly innovative with the ability to export our innovation and skills.
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June 21, 2017The Finkel Review – A politically acceptable outcome for no [...]
Free Sample, ReportsThe Finkel review has been released and appears to have come up with a ‘politically acceptable’ solution. However, even if all the recommendations are accepted, the future impact on the electricity market is far from certain. Human behaviour and the declining cost of renewables will have a more profound effect than the Finkel review suggests in its modelling.
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June 21, 2017Snowy Hydro 2.0: Good but not enough?
Free Sample, ReportsSnowy Hydro 2.0 has been proposed by the Federal Government to alleviate the Australian Energy Crisis. Will it be the golden solution they hoped for, or should the government consider alternative investments to allow a more effective or timely solution?
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April 19, 2017Batteries have become the mainstream solution to the energy crisi [...]
Free Sample, ReportsFollowing the blackouts in South Australia, a strong debate around the future of electricity has been sparked within both the state and national governments. We take a closer look at this debate, summarise the causes, consequences and likely outcomes, whilst discussing the impact to the wider Australian energy market. -
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February 15, 2017Towards Australia’s Smart Energy Future
Free Sample, ReportsAs technological developments continue Smart Energy is increasingly being adopted by the government, businesses and consumers in order to address climate issues and cut energy costs. We discuss the uptake of Smart Energy within Australia including the key technologies, government incentives driving uptake and the anticipated disruption from future changes.
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December 4, 2018
SVOD in the US and UK: A tale of three-player markets
Focus Report, ReportsThere is a belief in some quarters that there is space for a myriad of large SVOD services in the UK. Like the UK, the US market is dominated by three services, but there is also evidence that there is appetite for further offerings: Netflix households tend to take a secondary SVOD service to complement Netflix’s content library, and are likely to take up a third service, and in some cases a fourth and fifth. Potential domestic UK services will struggle to compete with the resources that foreign tech giants can marshal, along with NOW TV’s steady position and top content. -
November 28, 2018
Telemedicine and AI Outlook in Primary Care
Flash Report, ReportsIn this report, we provide a brief overview of ‘telemedicine’ including a 2035 forecast of the impact of telehealth tools, both human and artificial intelligence, in relation to ‘unreferred medical services’2 in the primary health market. This report does not assess or analyse the full potential for telemedicine which derives from other applications, such as remote surgical operations, sharing of digital health records or remote patient monitoring. These activities clearly would have significant additional benefits to the those explored in this report. The report outlines the importance of primary care in shaping Australian health and seizing ever-increasing health costs. -
November 27, 2018
Telemedicine in Australia
Flash Report, ReportsIn this report, we provide a brief overview of ‘telemedicine’ and business models associated with provision of telemedicine services along with barriers that may slow down adoption of the online tool. Venture Insights believes that telemedicine will play an important tool in scoping the primary care in Australia- changing the way GPs deliver their services. We believe that the inefficiencies in healthcare, growing health costs and rising demand for quality care lead to a rising need for disruption: tools that can reduce costs while driving access to care. -
November 6, 2018
Recruitment Marketing Outlook
Market Outlook, ReportsThe Net Employment Outlook for 2018 for Australia has improved compared to CY2017—Employment Outlook peaked at 13% (a six-year high) in March 2018, before falling to 11% in September 2018. Unemployment rate decreased to 5.0% (a six-year low) in September 2018 from 5.5% in August 2017. Seek is the dominant player in the job boards industry, while LinkedIn is a dominant player in the Professional Networks space. While alternative job boards exist, they are unlikely to challenge Seek’s dominance at least in the Australian market. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are transforming the industry by allowing recruitment companies to offer better job recommendations and data driven insights -
November 5, 2018
UK Radio’s evolution towards a digital future
Market Outlook, ReportsRadio faces challenges from Spotify and other online audio propositions, while the radio “dial” is challenged by smart speakers and global tech. UK radio broadcasters have risen to the occasion through innovation. New DAB stations have helped radio achieve record audiences and revenues. Combined digital listening is now over 50%, but FM remains the primary platform. The current mix of FM/AM and digital maintains radio’s relevance for the medium term. The long-term future is digital—a wide-ranging sector review is required to determine how to support digital radio’s growth and the question of a future switchover. -
November 2, 2018
AI and Genomics in Healthcare
Flash Report, ReportsGiven the unsustainability of health expenditure growth rates, we explore how AI and genomics might assist Australia to achieve higher quality health services at lower costs. We provide a definition and analyse main drivers and impacts of implementing AI and genomics in medicine. -
October 31, 2018
US department stores, Amazon, and omnichannel fashion retail
Market Outlook, ReportsAmazon is finding women’s fashion, a missing piece of its household-centric model, a tougher nut to crack than downmarket apparel. Higher-end US department stores are pushing back with an omnichannel model, emphasising long-term partnerships, a clever full-price/outlet model, and experiences which cross the online-offline divide. In apparel, Amazon and big box retailers have already triumphed over lower-tier American department stores, and even prestigious fashion brands are finding it harder and harder to refuse cooperation with the giants. -
October 30, 2018
Neobanks – The David against banking Goliaths?
Focus Report, ReportsThe banking industry has traditionally displayed inertia to major disruption and innovation. With the rise of neobanks in Europe and the UK, and the arrival of Australia’s first neobanks; Volt, Xinja and 86 400, this may be set to change as the younger generation of customers increasingly adopt more digital and customer-centric banking services. -
October 17, 2018
Property Advertising Market Outlook
Market Outlook, ReportsEven as the RBA chooses to keep interest rates stable, the Federal Government has implemented measures to cool the rising property market. This has resulted in a decline in new listings and housing sales in major cities and a decline in real estate purchases by foreign buyers. Macroeconomic indicators, such as GDP growth, household income and consumption continue to strengthen, with labour participation increasing and the unemployment rate falling to 5.4% in June as 41,200 full time jobs were created. The RBA continues to maintain the cash rate at the same level due to a below-target inflation rate and high consumer debt that makes many households’ consumption rates sensitive to the mortgage rate. Household debt recently reached 190.0% of total annualised household income. The online real estate classified market is dominated by two players, the REA Group and Domain, which together hold 98.0% of the market. Both players reported strong annual results, with about 20% revenue growth for FY18. Despite the dominance of the two players, new start-ups continue to enter the market in the hopes of grabbing a slice of the lucrative property classifieds market. However, to date, none have gained any material traction in the Australian market. -
FreeOctober 13, 2018
Venture Advisory Monthly Wrap – September 2018
Free Sample, Monthly wrap, ReportsVenture Advisory provides a review of leading Australasian telco, media and technology companies on a monthly basis. This review considers amongst other things share price performers ( best and worst performers during the month), company news flow and ASX release updates and respective valuation trading multiples. The report is designed for busy executives and investment professionals that want to get a flash update and stay on top of key news flow. If you wish to find out more or have an deeper enquiry please feel free to contact Nigel Pugh or Sarah Houghton.$0.00 -
October 11, 2018
UK Esports & broadcasters: No game for old players
Focus Report, ReportsDrawn by its rapid growth and enviably youthful audience profile, incumbent broadcasters are paying increased attention to esports and its followers. Viewership of esports on UK broadcasters’ linear channels is low, with consumption on their online platforms likely the same. The market’s fragmented nature and global audience, along with the dominance of Twitch—and to a lesser extent YouTube—makes this unlikely to change. Broadcasters’ low-cost approach has primarily benefited competition organisers and games publishers. For broadcasters to create real revenues, massive upfront investment would be needed, with the risk of failure high. -
October 5, 2018
Apple – Price is the object: the iPhone and its services
Focus Report, ReportsWith a carefully priced, strong line-up of iPhones, Apple will consolidate its main revenue line and core user base in the near term. The latter feeds into a services business showing impressive growth, but which is also marked by missed opportunities and mounting negative consequences on the rest of the online ecosystem. For media businesses, Apple’s impact is larger than ever, inevitably leading to new kinds of friction around commercial terms, App store policies and browser features. -
September 4, 2018
When an Amazon TV show wins a Golden Globe, Amazon sells more sho [...]
Focus Report, ReportsOver the past two decades, Amazon has grown to become the largest ecommerce player in the world. But to think of it as just an online retailer would be underestimating its presence across multiple other services and markets. Within this, Amazon Video is fast emerging as a key pillar of Amazon’s overall business as it uses video to increase Prime memberships and improve user stickiness on the Amazon platform. -
August 30, 2018
IoT in Transport – rise of the connected transport market
Focus Report, ReportsThe Internet of Things is set to transform the transport industry by driving real-time connectivity between vehicles and transport infrastructure. In Australia, the transport IoT market is forecast to generate about A$5bn in revenue in the next five years. -
August 9, 2018IoT Connectivity Technologies
Focus Report, ReportsThe Internet of Things is becoming a pervasive part of our technology ecosystem. At its heart, communication and connectivity technologies enable IoT devices to interact and share information. There are a number of connectivity options available for IoT networks, each with specific characteristics which makes them suitable for specific applications and use cases. -
FreeAugust 5, 2018
Venture Advisory Monthly Wrap – July 2018
Free Sample, Monthly wrap, ReportsVenture Advisory provides a review of leading Australasian telco, media and technology companies on a monthly basis. This review considers amongst other things share price performers ( best and worst performers during the month), company news flow and ASX release updates and respective valuation trading multiples. The report is designed for busy executives and investment professionals that want to get a flash update and stay on top of key news flow. If you wish to find out more or have an deeper enquiry please feel free to contact Nigel Pugh or Sarah Houghton.$0.00 -
July 30, 2018
Quality media, Ozone protection
Focus Report, ReportsThe Telegraph, The Guardian and News UK (The Times and The Sun) will jointly invest in The Ozone Project to develop a state-of-the-art platform to sell their digital inventory. Ozone will add value to news digital inventory and seek to win back advertiser expenditure on Facebook and Google’s various properties, (indirectly) reigniting interest in placement next to quality news media content. Each JV participant operates a distinct business model, which risks friction, but this digital reboot is crucial. By 2020, Ozone could add circa £30 million per annum – not a trivial contribution to a national newspaper newsroom. -
July 12, 2018Virtual Reality in 2018: Ready Player None?
Focus Report, ReportsYet another annual hype cycle in 2018 can’t hide a tepid consumer appetite for all VR platforms and heavy weather for the industry as a whole. The launch of Oculus GO, a standalone device at an attractive price, is a milestone for VR; nevertheless, even Facebook remains worried about reach and the state of the industry. Mobile AR is still a strategic focus for Google and Apple, producing diverse applications instead of just games, but new headsets from Microsoft and Magic Leap which promise advanced MR experiences have no launch dates. -
July 9, 2018
Europe’s Creative Hubs Update 2018
Market Outlook, ReportsThis third edition of Europe's Creative Hubs, produced on behalf of Bertelsmann, highlights the challenges of the digital age for enterprises of the creative industries of France, Germany and the UK from new consumer behaviors and the advent of new competitors and new forms of competition for users and customers from tech giants, Amazon, Facebook, Google and Netflix. The report calls upon policymakers in Europe to ensure a level playing field for traditional media in the key areas of taxation, competition law, privacy and data protection, highlighting the interaction of these three in the market for online advertising. -
July 6, 2018
Westpac leads the Fintech investment charge
Focus Report, ReportsAustralia’s largest banks have been very active in the fintech market. This report explores the investments that they have made and considers their contrasting approaches to those investments.
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NewDecember 13, 2018
ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry – Google and Facebook have just [...]
Flash Report, ReportsOn 11th December 2018, the ACCC released its preliminary report on the Digital Platforms Inquiry, and one thing is certain – Google and Facebook won’t be happy after reading it. The draft recommendations are extensive and call for significant changes to privacy and consumer protection laws and new regulatory oversight to monitor and curb the market power exerted by Google and Facebook.Sector Media. -
NewDecember 11, 2018
Hulu casts a spell
Flash Report, ReportsWhen its acquisition of 21st Century Fox closes, Disney will own 60% of Hulu. If it bought Comcast’s 30% stake (and WarnerMedia’s 10%), it could fully leverage the platform for its US direct-to-consumer strategy. Comcast’s Hulu stake has little strategic value to it. We argue it should sell to Disney in exchange for long-term supply deals for ESPN, as well as for the upcoming Disney+ and Hulu, similar to its recent pacts with Amazon Prime and Netflix. This could naturally be extended to Sky in Europe depending on whether Disney decides to launch all direct-to-consumer or sticks with pay-TV in certain markets. -
NewDecember 7, 2018
Virgin Media UK Q3 2018 results: Cautiously accelerating growth
Flash Report, ReportsVirgin Media’s revenue growth accelerated in Q3, off the back of improved subscriber ARPU and triple play growth, but actual customer and broadband figures slowed in line with the weakening market. Network roll-out was still (deliberately) slow, with the rate now well below the previous year, and the company indicating that it is not expecting to accelerate, although it is still the fastest new network builder in the UK by some margin. Both the ARPU focus and slow roll-out point to a cautious approach, with the company happier to ensure its existing customers offer good yields than to seek significant market share growth at this stage, which is probably wise. -
December 6, 2018
Refocus imperative at Vodafone UK
Flash Report, ReportsVodafone’s deteriorating financial performance is as much due to an increasing margin of underperformance relative to its peers as to challenging markets such as Italy. A strategic refocus on operational performance is long overdue and seems largely sensible, save for the continued push for discount-led convergence products which are driving underperformance. Although Vodafone posted 3% organic EBITDA growth for H1 of this year and is guiding to same for the full year, we view this definition as overly flattering with true EBITDA performance flat and revenues in decline. -
December 5, 2018
Classifieds Marketing Outlook: All Segments
Focus Report, ReportsFor decades, classifieds were the domain of newspapers, which offered advertisers cheap ads sorted under specific categories. The ads gave shoppers an easy way to browse various local offers, usually from private sellers. But, the jump from print to digital was inevitable and has proven itself to be quite lucrative for digital players. However, in the past few years, as the online classifieds market matures, leading digital classifieds players are attempting to diversify their revenues into new products and services. This is being driven by the need to ensure new sources of revenue growth and to drive customer acquisition and loyalty. In the real estate market, REA and Domain have introduced adjacent services such as mortgage broking and data analytics. In the recruitment market, LinkedIn and SEEK have been investing in technology companies involved in temporary hire, skill development, alternative recruitment and employee engagement. -
December 4, 2018
SVOD in the US and UK: A tale of three-player markets
Focus Report, ReportsThere is a belief in some quarters that there is space for a myriad of large SVOD services in the UK. Like the UK, the US market is dominated by three services, but there is also evidence that there is appetite for further offerings: Netflix households tend to take a secondary SVOD service to complement Netflix’s content library, and are likely to take up a third service, and in some cases a fourth and fifth. Potential domestic UK services will struggle to compete with the resources that foreign tech giants can marshal, along with NOW TV’s steady position and top content. -
December 3, 2018
O2 UK: scope for outperformance near-term, solid results thereaft [...]
Focus Report, ReportsO2 has managed to deliver a solid financial performance over the past several quarters in spite of network constraints which are now resolved. With signs that they are becoming more assertive in the market, and with continued brand strength and low churn, there is scope for that performance to hasten from here. Over the medium to long term, turnaround plans from the other MNOs could thwart outperformance by O2 but with an holistic culture of leading-edge marketing and innovation, we expect at least sustained solid results. -
November 30, 2018
UK HFSS TV watershed idea should be put to bed
Focus Report, ReportsThe ban on pre-9pm TV ads for HFSS (high in fat, salt or sugar) products being considered by the Government would not play a constructive or quantifiable role in reversing the UK’s rising childhood obesity rates. The ban on HFSS product ads since 2008 around children’s programming has not impeded the inexorable rise of childhood obesity. In 2010, Ofcom termed an HFSS watershed ban ‘disproportionate’ and ‘ineffective’. In 2018, a watershed ban would be even less effective. Children’s linear broadcast TV viewing is down by half since 2010, mainly to YouTube’s advantage, which benefits from light-touch HFSS regulation. -
November 29, 2018
Automotive Marketing Outlook 2018
Market Outlook, ReportsAfter hitting record highs in March 2018, new car sales have recorded their seventh straight month of declining sales numbers as declining property prices and higher fuel costs are driving households to curb big-ticket purchases. Vehicle sales for October 2018 were 90,178 vehicles, down 5.3% YoY. Passenger cars declined 23.6% YoY driven in part by the preference for Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) which accounted for 44% of all new car sales in Australia for October 2018. While disruptors such as carsharing platforms (carnextdoor and goget) are reducing the need for car-ownership, there hasn’t been any visible impact on the automotive advertising market. We forecast Automotive Display Adex to grow at a 13.2% CAGR through to 2022 to A$891.2mn. Carsales is one of the largest players in the Australian online auto advertising market with a share of 37% in car listing volumes. Its average session duration is approximately two times that of its closest competitor, while the average number of daily unique visitors to its website is 57% higher. -
November 20, 2018
BT Q2 2018/19 results: Beating expectations, guidance still look [...]
Flash Report, ReportsBT’s Q2 results were well ahead of both its full year guidance run-rate and financial market expectations, with revenue flat and EBITDA up 3% versus guidance and consensus at -2% for both metrics. Operating metrics were more mixed, with broadband churn high and (our estimate of) net adds low, but fixed ARPU was solid, backed up by rapid adoption of BT Plus, fibre adoption re-accelerated and mobile was strong across all metrics. While part of the outperformance was likely due to H1/H2 phasing, it also reflects fairly conservative expectations and a solid operating performance, and hence full year guidance still looks very beatable, with a positive outlook beyond this. -
November 16, 2018
UK PSB SVOD
Flash Report, ReportsThe Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) have been mulling a possible SVOD service, a decade after their ad-supported Project Kangaroo was blocked on competition grounds. Even if a reboot between the BBC and ITV were this time to be approved, we do not think Kangaroo 2 can succeed as a significant SVOD entrant in its home turf of the UK, above all because it’s too late. Other flaws in the offer are that it would be too small, non-premium, too old (archive), and too old (viewing profile), plus lacking sufficient financial resource to produce a pipeline of unique series. -
November 15, 2018
UBS Conference: What could the media landscape look like in 5 yea [...]
Flash Report, ReportsVenture Insights attended the annual UBS Investors Conference for 2018 on 12th and 13th November, with a number of interesting panels across the two days. The participants of the Media panel were unanimous in their view that while digital remains an important area of growth, traditional media operators are starting to get their act together and are aligning their offerings more closely with customer preferences. -
November 13, 2018
BBC drama: a loosening grip
Flash Report, ReportsA string of big, bold hits like Bodyguard, Killing Eve and Little Drummer Girl has reinvigorated the perception of the BBC’s drama schedule, with massive ratings and a coveted place in the public conversation. However, the lack of the broadcaster’s top dramas actually produced by BBC Studios—declining to just 4 of the top 25 in 2018—is cause for ongoing concern. At a time when the BBC is attempting to bulk up the iPlayer and programme IP has become the bedrock broadcasting asset, the BBC could be better placed. -
November 13, 2018
Misplaced UK media spend in a booming identity economy: a brand o [...]
Focus Report, ReportsMost UK consumer spending, and the vast majority of its growth, is in categories which reflect who we are and where we feel we belong: lifestyle signifiers, passions, and social activities. Communities are at the heart of this growing economy, but ad spend on media which visibly targets us as members of a group in a relevant context has on average lagged behind in these categories. Advertisers recognising the power of emotionally and culturally relevant context in media, sponsorships or events, are finding an opportunity for building brands for the identity economy. -
November 6, 2018
Recruitment Marketing Outlook
Market Outlook, ReportsThe Net Employment Outlook for 2018 for Australia has improved compared to CY2017—Employment Outlook peaked at 13% (a six-year high) in March 2018, before falling to 11% in September 2018. Unemployment rate decreased to 5.0% (a six-year low) in September 2018 from 5.5% in August 2017. Seek is the dominant player in the job boards industry, while LinkedIn is a dominant player in the Professional Networks space. While alternative job boards exist, they are unlikely to challenge Seek’s dominance at least in the Australian market. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are transforming the industry by allowing recruitment companies to offer better job recommendations and data driven insights -
November 5, 2018
UK Radio’s evolution towards a digital future
Market Outlook, ReportsRadio faces challenges from Spotify and other online audio propositions, while the radio “dial” is challenged by smart speakers and global tech. UK radio broadcasters have risen to the occasion through innovation. New DAB stations have helped radio achieve record audiences and revenues. Combined digital listening is now over 50%, but FM remains the primary platform. The current mix of FM/AM and digital maintains radio’s relevance for the medium term. The long-term future is digital—a wide-ranging sector review is required to determine how to support digital radio’s growth and the question of a future switchover. -
November 2, 2018
UK PSB solidarity and collaboration
Focus Report, ReportsThe Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) are in the process of sliding from TV dominance to middling contenders, in terms of content expenditure and significance to viewers. There are calls from many sides that the PSBs need to collaborate in order to thrive, in an era when global debt-funded SVOD services are making all the running. This note explores what can realistically be achieved by PSB collaboration; where partnerships work best; and the areas best avoided. -
October 31, 2018
US department stores, Amazon, and omnichannel fashion retail
Market Outlook, ReportsAmazon is finding women’s fashion, a missing piece of its household-centric model, a tougher nut to crack than downmarket apparel. Higher-end US department stores are pushing back with an omnichannel model, emphasising long-term partnerships, a clever full-price/outlet model, and experiences which cross the online-offline divide. In apparel, Amazon and big box retailers have already triumphed over lower-tier American department stores, and even prestigious fashion brands are finding it harder and harder to refuse cooperation with the giants. -
October 26, 2018
Video Entertainment Market Outlook: The overall Video Entertainme [...]
Market Outlook, ReportsWe anticipate the Australian video market to marginally decline from A$5.48bn in 2018 to A$5.33bn in 2023 driven by a deflationary shift from traditional to digital platforms. While we don’t expect the overall size of the video entertainment market to decline materially, we do expect platform share to change dramatically over the next five years. Pay-TV will remain under pressure as the way video is consumed and paid for changes. Foxtel will offset some of this pressure by its participation in the xVOD market albeit this market will be heavily contested with multiple new players emerging. -
October 25, 2018
Disney, Fox, Sky and Comcast: future relationships
Focus Report, ReportsWith Comcast’s acquisition of Sky confirmed and Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox on the path to regulatory clearance, how will the relationships of the various parties evolve?. Disney is betting on a standalone SVOD service in the US. However, its content deal with Sky in Europe is lucrative, and the performance of DisneyLife in the UK suggests its US strategy may not fit elsewhere. Sky’s relationships with Disney and Fox are crucial to its business. A joint pursuit to maximise returns from IP and distribution in Europe would be economically efficient for both Comcast/Sky and Disney/Fox.
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NewDecember 11, 2018
5G Update December 2018 – Telstra leading the race to 5G
Flash Report, ReportsQ4 2018 has been a busy time for 5G players with the government auctioning valuable spectrum bands and an update on Telstra’s progress on 5G. Australia is tracking well to have initial 5G services in 2019. This will enable strong growth in devices and mobile data consumption. -
NewDecember 7, 2018
Virgin Media UK Q3 2018 results: Cautiously accelerating growth
Flash Report, ReportsVirgin Media’s revenue growth accelerated in Q3, off the back of improved subscriber ARPU and triple play growth, but actual customer and broadband figures slowed in line with the weakening market. Network roll-out was still (deliberately) slow, with the rate now well below the previous year, and the company indicating that it is not expecting to accelerate, although it is still the fastest new network builder in the UK by some margin. Both the ARPU focus and slow roll-out point to a cautious approach, with the company happier to ensure its existing customers offer good yields than to seek significant market share growth at this stage, which is probably wise. -
December 6, 2018
Refocus imperative at Vodafone UK
Flash Report, ReportsVodafone’s deteriorating financial performance is as much due to an increasing margin of underperformance relative to its peers as to challenging markets such as Italy. A strategic refocus on operational performance is long overdue and seems largely sensible, save for the continued push for discount-led convergence products which are driving underperformance. Although Vodafone posted 3% organic EBITDA growth for H1 of this year and is guiding to same for the full year, we view this definition as overly flattering with true EBITDA performance flat and revenues in decline. -
December 5, 2018
TalkTalk stabilising, but strong growth evasive
Focus Report, ReportsTalkTalk had very solid Q2 and H1 results, with broadband net adds staying positive, high speed net adds accelerating, revenue growth above 3% and EBITDA rebounding back to growth. This was helped at the revenue line by a price increase in the quarter and in EBITDA terms by steep Openreach price reductions, with strong revenue growth and any EBITDA growth hard to replicate once these effects have annualised out. The company has nonetheless stabilised its subscriber base, revenue and profitability after some erratic years, with cost-cutting providing some potential for growth going forward. -
December 3, 2018
O2 UK: scope for outperformance near-term, solid results thereaft [...]
Focus Report, ReportsO2 has managed to deliver a solid financial performance over the past several quarters in spite of network constraints which are now resolved. With signs that they are becoming more assertive in the market, and with continued brand strength and low churn, there is scope for that performance to hasten from here. Over the medium to long term, turnaround plans from the other MNOs could thwart outperformance by O2 but with an holistic culture of leading-edge marketing and innovation, we expect at least sustained solid results. -
November 30, 2018
UK HFSS TV watershed idea should be put to bed
Focus Report, ReportsThe ban on pre-9pm TV ads for HFSS (high in fat, salt or sugar) products being considered by the Government would not play a constructive or quantifiable role in reversing the UK’s rising childhood obesity rates. The ban on HFSS product ads since 2008 around children’s programming has not impeded the inexorable rise of childhood obesity. In 2010, Ofcom termed an HFSS watershed ban ‘disproportionate’ and ‘ineffective’. In 2018, a watershed ban would be even less effective. Children’s linear broadcast TV viewing is down by half since 2010, mainly to YouTube’s advantage, which benefits from light-touch HFSS regulation. -
November 20, 2018
BT Q2 2018/19 results: Beating expectations, guidance still look [...]
Flash Report, ReportsBT’s Q2 results were well ahead of both its full year guidance run-rate and financial market expectations, with revenue flat and EBITDA up 3% versus guidance and consensus at -2% for both metrics. Operating metrics were more mixed, with broadband churn high and (our estimate of) net adds low, but fixed ARPU was solid, backed up by rapid adoption of BT Plus, fibre adoption re-accelerated and mobile was strong across all metrics. While part of the outperformance was likely due to H1/H2 phasing, it also reflects fairly conservative expectations and a solid operating performance, and hence full year guidance still looks very beatable, with a positive outlook beyond this. -
November 19, 2018
Australian Mobile Telco Market Outlook
Market Outlook, ReportsThe Australian mobile market has been traditionally characterised as a mature market with steady growth driven by population growth and mobile broadband. However, this market is about to see strong innovation (5G) and disruption (TPG-Vodafone merger) in the next few years. We forecast the mobile market will remain the largest segment in the overall telco market with A$22.3bn in revenue by 2022. With the merger between TPG and Vodafone to form a third full service telco in the market, we expect the competitive intensity to increase with incumbents facing pricing and margin pressure from 2018-19 onwards. However, despite TPG’s aggressive initial pricing and service offering, at this stage we have been conservative in our estimates with respect to TPG-Vodafone’s impact on incumbent market shares as we expect a gradual subscriber take-up of the network over 2018-2022. The arrival of 5G and emergence of wireless access to the Internet as an alternative to fixed broadband means that the mobile market will continue to experience strong growth, with ARPUs steadying. Venture Insights believes that 5G coupled with IoT will enable the transition from a connectivity based revenue model to a services based revenue model for mobile operators. -
November 16, 2018
UK PSB SVOD
Flash Report, ReportsThe Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) have been mulling a possible SVOD service, a decade after their ad-supported Project Kangaroo was blocked on competition grounds. Even if a reboot between the BBC and ITV were this time to be approved, we do not think Kangaroo 2 can succeed as a significant SVOD entrant in its home turf of the UK, above all because it’s too late. Other flaws in the offer are that it would be too small, non-premium, too old (archive), and too old (viewing profile), plus lacking sufficient financial resource to produce a pipeline of unique series. -
November 15, 2018
UBS Australasia Conference – 5G’s accelerating progress
Flash Report, ReportsVenture Insights attended the annual UBS Investors Conference for 2018 on 12th and 13th November, with a number of interesting panels across the two days. The participants of the 5G panel moderated by Venture Insights commented on the positive effects 5G will have on not just the telco industry but also verticals such as healthcare, transportation and manufacturing. -
November 13, 2018
Misplaced UK media spend in a booming identity economy: a brand o [...]
Focus Report, ReportsMost UK consumer spending, and the vast majority of its growth, is in categories which reflect who we are and where we feel we belong: lifestyle signifiers, passions, and social activities. Communities are at the heart of this growing economy, but ad spend on media which visibly targets us as members of a group in a relevant context has on average lagged behind in these categories. Advertisers recognising the power of emotionally and culturally relevant context in media, sponsorships or events, are finding an opportunity for building brands for the identity economy. -
November 12, 2018
Radcomms 2018 & the upcoming 3.6GHz spectrum auctions
Flash Report, ReportsACMA’s premier conference Radcomms 2018 was held on October 30-31 with industry experts presenting and discussing a range of topical issues regarding spectrum regulation, new emerging trends and industry policies. Australia’s spectrum regulation should be fast tracked to enable telcos to deploy next generation technologies faster to consumers. We expect strong competition for spectrum in the upcoming 3.6GHz auction. -
November 2, 2018
UK PSB solidarity and collaboration
Focus Report, ReportsThe Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) are in the process of sliding from TV dominance to middling contenders, in terms of content expenditure and significance to viewers. There are calls from many sides that the PSBs need to collaborate in order to thrive, in an era when global debt-funded SVOD services are making all the running. This note explores what can realistically be achieved by PSB collaboration; where partnerships work best; and the areas best avoided. -
November 1, 2018
Australian Telecommunications Market Outlook
Market Outlook, Reports- The introduction and the rollout of the NBN has been one of the key inflection points in the Australian telco market. However, as the rollout progresses, complaints continue and the tug-of war with RSPs over CVC charges continues. This discord has led to both major and smaller RSPs experiencing a tight squeeze on margins and opportunities for bypass options
- The Mobile segment continues its upward march but the market is about to see the impacts of a new wave of innovation (5G, IoT) and disruption (TPG Vodafone merger) in the next few years. This will severely impact fixed line broadband and nbn’s business case
- The merger between TPG and Vodafone will create a strong third MNO in Australia and long term competition and pricing pressure with Optus and Telstra
- Growth and broader acceptance in public cloud solutions is driving growth in the data markets as the corporate market is increasingly consolidating their voice, data and applications traffic
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October 22, 2018
New Zealand consumer interest growing for 5G mobile
Flash Report, ReportsVenture Insights’ latest New Zealand consumer mobile survey demonstrates growing 5G interest with video streaming and fixed wireless broadband shaping up to be key use cases. Leadership in 5G network rollout is likely to provide strong benefits from the acquisition of early adopters from competing networks. -
October 16, 2018
Future Trends In Telecom and Video: Comms Day Melbourne Congress
Focus Report, ReportsOn 10th October 2018, Venture Insight’s Managing Director Nigel Pugh, presented Venture’s recent Australian Mobile Survey results at the Comms Day Congress in Melbourne. The presentation includes Venture’s survey results and views on (i) consumer 5G awareness, migration and the battle for the early adopter market segment, (ii) consumer usage of mobile video and streaming services, (iii) 5G use case for mobile and telco media bundling, (iv) 5G use case for fixed wireless and (v) messaging usage versus traditional applications. -
FreeOctober 13, 2018
Venture Advisory Monthly Wrap – September 2018
Free Sample, Monthly wrap, ReportsVenture Advisory provides a review of leading Australasian telco, media and technology companies on a monthly basis. This review considers amongst other things share price performers ( best and worst performers during the month), company news flow and ASX release updates and respective valuation trading multiples. The report is designed for busy executives and investment professionals that want to get a flash update and stay on top of key news flow. If you wish to find out more or have an deeper enquiry please feel free to contact Nigel Pugh or Sarah Houghton.$0.00 -
October 9, 2018
The role of IoT in the Healthcare Industry
Flash Report, ReportsIoT is set to transform the healthcare industry enabling ease of data collection, analysis and bringing medical services into patients’ hands.. Advanced procedures and real time services can be made possible, improving efficiency and reducing redundant costs. However, there are many hurdles that need to be overcome for the IoT vision to be realised and will likely take many years. -
October 5, 2018
Apple – Price is the object: the iPhone and its services
Focus Report, ReportsWith a carefully priced, strong line-up of iPhones, Apple will consolidate its main revenue line and core user base in the near term. The latter feeds into a services business showing impressive growth, but which is also marked by missed opportunities and mounting negative consequences on the rest of the online ecosystem. For media businesses, Apple’s impact is larger than ever, inevitably leading to new kinds of friction around commercial terms, App store policies and browser features. -
October 3, 2018
What Sky means for Comcast
Focus Report, ReportsComcast’s £30.6 billion acquisition of Sky brings to an end the long-running ownership battle since Disney agreed to tender Fox’s 39% stake to Comcast, also ending the Murdoch Family Trust’s interest in Sky. Comcast’s US domestic cable and global NBCU media businesses complement Sky’s European operation. Sky’s telecoms business is likely to expand, while the TV side should benefit from NBCU’s global distribution might, with greater revenues generated by its original content. Fox’s long-running battle with UK regulators over the public interest dimensions of the proposed Sky acquisition has also ended. Plurality of media is preserved by Comcast’s undertakings to support Sky News for 10 years.