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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May 22, 2019‘Is Orange the new Bank?’ Telcos and Fintech
Focus Report, ReportsAs OTT services grow in value, telco revenues are moderating and the lack of growth opportunities in the core business is driving telcos to look at adjacencies. Fintech is disrupting traditional financial services and offers a high value adjacency for telcos to play in where they can maximise their natural strengths.New
May 20, 2019Disney gets the final piece of Hulu
Flash Report, ReportsDisney announced that it would acquire Comcast’s 33% share of Hulu in a put/call agreement that can be enacted by either party from January 2024, while taking full operational control of the vehicle immediately. Under the agreement Disney will pay Comcast a minimum of $9 billion for its current stake, provided Comcast fulfils agreed capital calls, which going forward would be just over $500 million/year. Disney secured the continued licensing of NBCUniversal content for Hulu, contributing about 30% of Hulu’s library, but Comcast can loosen obligations to Hulu for the launch of its own SVOD service in 2020.New
May 16, 2019Australian Fintech Breakfast Roundtable: Fintech ready to disrupt [...]
Focus Report, ReportsOn May 14th 2019 Venture Insights hosted a Fintech Breakfast with a number of prominent members of the Australian fintech community. The breakfast centred on Venture Insights’ latest Fintech consumer survey which analysed the attitude of Australians to the incumbents and the challengers.
May 15, 2019An alternative model to the proposed TPG-Vodafone merger
Flash Report, ReportsThe ACCC has blocked the $15bn merger between TPG and Vodafone, citing its belief that a merged entity would reduce competition given TPG’s ability to become a fourth mobile operator. TPG and Vodafone intend to appeal the decision and have extended their merger agreement to 31 August 2020. Venture Insights believes there is an alternative model which would enable infrastructure efficiencies and benefit competition.
May 14, 2019Facebook doubles down on advertising
Flash Report, ReportsAfter the most challenging period in its history since 2012, Facebook has been able to stabilise its fundamental metrics and announce a major product overhaul. Despite talk of a business model pivot, Facebook’s focus remains on advertising, whose growth will remain concentrated in developed markets. News publishers wishing to stay relevant on the upgraded product set need to target exclusive layers of social interaction, with groups particularly important.
May 13, 2019Sky UK Q1 2019 results: weak ARPU hits bottom line
Market Outlook, ReportsSky made a surprisingly weak start to 2019, with revenue growth decelerating to 1.9% (the first time below 4% since the European businesses merged in 2015), due to weaker ARPU trends. However, Sky expects improvement to follow, blaming one-off factors in the quarter. The ARPU weakness drove EBITDA down 11.3%, but this should bounce back across the rest of 2019 as football rights costs turn from a drag to a positive. Comcast highlighted collaborations with Sky across tech, advertising, content distribution and even news, stating it is on track to achieve the anticipated $500 million in annual synergies over the next couple of years
May 7, 2019Sports streaming and 5G – everyone wants in…
Market Outlook, ReportsLive sport remains an important content genre with the ability to attract consumer eyeballs and improve customer loyalty for both telcos and TV operators. However, TV operators (FTA and Pay TV) which until recently were the undisputed leaders in providing sports content, are being disrupted by sports streaming apps and telcos.
May 6, 2019UK Online media monetisation
Market Outlook, ReportsThe commercial challenges for media online are well-documented: online advertising pays for utilities such as search and social networking many times over, but not for media beyond user-generated content and low-investment journalism. There are also costs from a user perspective: wasted time, harmful content created to attract views, and the collection, sale, use and frequent leakage to criminals of personal data. Different sectors have found varying success with alternatives: games, video and music are attracting user payments, driving the paid online economy up 15.5% to £8.2 billion in 2018.
May 3, 2019Disney+ and Hulu: a flexible pitch to consumers
Market Outlook, ReportsDisney now controls third-party content aggregator Hulu, which has 25 million subscribers in the US. Ramped up by Fox content, Hulu’s operating losses are expected to peak in FY2019 at $1.5 billion, with profits by FY2023 or FY2024. Serving only Disney content, Disney+ launches in the US at the low price of $6.99/month this November, and in 2020 in Europe and Asia Pacific in 2021, aiming to reach the challenging goal of 60-90 million subscribers in five years. ESPN+, Hulu, Disney+ combined could contribute 13% of Disney’s revenues by 2024, which does not intend to disturb existing channels and windows for catalogue and new content, aside from withdrawing content from Netflix.
May 2, 2019The new lifespan of UK TV content: wearing out more quickly
Market Outlook, ReportsThe economic model of TV production relies upon a vibrant market for back catalogue content; programming that has traditionally driven the desirability of many linear channels and slots. New release strategies, along with the hyper-concentrated viewing encouraged by video-on-demand and the round-the-clock availability of shows calls the longevity of the value of content into question. Our analysis suggests that programmes that previously would be leisurely distributed through broadcast could now feasibly be “worn out” more quickly. This could have ramifications for the whole sector, with more content investment required “upfront” and new financial and distribution models required.
May 1, 2019Say goodbye to SIM cards – the rise of eSIMs
Market Outlook, ReportsThe conventional SIM card has been integral for device connectivity for almost three decades. The arrival of eSIMs will remove space constraints greatly benefiting IoT devices and wearables. Although eSIMs can be seen as a threat to telcos - as they enable a more efficient churn process - we believe the benefits of eSIMs outweigh the risks.
April 29, 2019UK Out of Home: opportunities and threats crowd the doorway
Market Outlook, ReportsOut of Home (OOH) is bucking the trend in UK traditional media and continues to grow, driven by the digitisation of inventory as the paper estate recedes. Digital OOH now accounts for 50% of total OOH ad spend. Soon digitisation will slow, as much OOH inventory cannot be converted from posters to digital screens; sustained growth will require a different form of change. The industry is amidst structural shift – driven by consolidation and automation – which could be wholly positive, but a lack of cooperation between major players risks stifling innovation and the medium’s growth.
April 23, 20195G to change the shape of UK mobile
Market Outlook, ReportsThe capacity boost with 5G will be more important than any speed or latency uplift. We estimate a 7-fold increase in mobile capacity in the UK and 13x+ for O2 and H3G. We view fixed mobile substitution products as quite niche although the number of mobile-only households is likely to creep up. mmWave would have the capacity to substitute for fixed but has many hurdles to overcome. Capacity-constraints have tempered competition of late and their removal risks an increase in intensity, especially as H3G views itself as sub-scale – good for policy makers but another challenge to add to the industry’s woes.
April 17, 2019Cinema market trends 2019 – Australia and New Zealand
Market Outlook, ReportsCinema revenues in Australia are projected to decline gradually over the next 5 years primarily due to cheaper substitutes on offer for consumers. Netflix has paved the way for cinema disruption and distributed 75 original films in 2018. Fellow disrupter MoviePass has continued to struggle due to an unprofitable business model.
April 16, 2019Google and game streaming: double or quits
Market Outlook, ReportsGoogle’s Stadia promises the most credible game streaming service yet, but building a subscription bundle of top titles would require an all-out bet in the sector. Google is building its own game studios – to win over others it must overcome a troubled history in gaming, mitigating risks to developer business models and creative integrity. Games are much more technically demanding to stream than video, presenting an advantage to Google, Microsoft and Amazon – and a boost to telecoms network demand, welcomed by operators.
April 12, 2019Monthly Australian TMT Wrap: March 2019
Market Outlook, ReportsThe number of announced transactions in March is low relative to February. A number of companies raised capital for a range of purposes, which were well received by the market. The volatility in Lyft’s share price post listing has shown that the market has struggled to price Lyft due to a lack of comparable listed companies in similar sector.
April 10, 2019Mobile Sports Streaming, Gaming and E-sports: A revenue opportuni [...]
Market Outlook, ReportsThere’s been a lot of speculation in the market about the revenue upside for 5G operators. Our latest Australian consumer survey shows there is good 5G market awareness and that 18% of subscribers would consider paying a price premium for a better 5G network experience. Venture Insights believes a 5G product which allows subscribers to move to a separate 5G slice which provides enhanced data throughput would clearly work with the gaming and sports consumer segments and benefit the network provider if offered as a (for example) $5 - $10 monthly option. The risk is that if Telcos stick with AYCE and unlimited plans, then the platform operators (such as Google Stadia) will benefit from the cloud based gaming subscriptions and take advantage of a better 5G network
April 8, 2019The North heads south: European mobile in Q4 2018
Market Outlook, ReportsEuropean mobile service revenue growth dropped to -1.3% – its lowest level in three years – particularly disappointing as growth should be bouncing back post-EU roaming tariff cuts. Having enjoyed relatively favourable dynamics in 2018, the UK and Germany are facing marked changes in momentum from here. Regulation limiting intra-EU call prices could hit hard – up to 6% of revenues and 20% of EBITDA in the UK, although other EU countries may be less exposed due to lower tariffs currently.
April 5, 2019Apple’s showtime: everybody gets a service, partners get pennie [...]
Flash Report, ReportsApple is strengthening its household model by doubling down on family-friendly content subscriptions and payments. The model is reliant on hard bargains with mainly US partners, which risks sacrificing potential scale for a short-term boost in margin dollars. The new services offer glimpses of novel concepts, but stop short of taking risks to truly differentiate—a problem in TV, where Apple’s distribution advantage is slimmer than Oprah would have it.
April 4, 2019BBC Studios and Discovery in the UK: a new SVOD and the UKTV spli [...]
Flash Report, ReportsThe split of UKTV has been announced with the lifestyle channels going to Discovery, while the balance, along with the UKTV brand and VOD service, retained by the BBC, costing BBC Studios £173 million. In the same release, a new, global Discovery SVOD “powered” by BBC natural history and factual programming was announced, backed by a ten-year content partnership. The deal is a positive step for the BBC, which safeguards against flaky brand attribution internationally and the potential loss of revenues from Netflix, which is becoming more choosy when acquiring content.April 3, 2019eSports and Broadcasters – to TV or not to TV…
Flash Report, ReportseSports viewership and revenues have grown significantly in the past few years and look set to continue growing rapidly. The rapid growth and the much-coveted millennial viewer base has caught the eye of traditional broadcasters who are looking at ways to explore this new content genre. But has the eSports ‘gravy train’ already left the station?
April 2, 2019UK broadband, telephony and pay TV trends Q4 2018
Market Outlook, ReportsMarket revenue growth accelerated to 3% in Q4, but it might never reach this level again, being helped by a never-to-be-repeated BT overlapping price rise. With price rises becoming more challenging in general, and superfast pricing under pressure in particular, maintaining/increasing ARPUs is becoming more difficult despite superfast volumes surging. Openreach’s ultrafast roll-out has accelerated, challenging Virgin Media and bringing the prospect of further price premia, but perhaps too late to be of significant benefit in 2019.
April 2, 2019Apple Card – allowing the fox into the henhouse…
Free Sample, ReportsIn the four years since Apple Pay was launched, major banks and retailers around the world have allowed customers to use their iPhones to make payments. On 25 March, Apple went one step further and announced its plans to release a digital-first credit card, Apple Card, partnering with global payments network MasterCard and investment bank Goldman Sachs.
April 1, 2019Expectations versus reality in data-driven healthcare – how [...]
Flash Report, ReportsOn 19 March 2019, Venture Insights conducted a health sector breakfast roundtable (in our Melbourne and Sydney offices) to discuss the topic “Expectations versus reality in data-driven healthcare – how do we solve the medical data conundrum?”. We had two speakers: Karn Ghosh, CEO and founder of health-tech firm Hit100, and Dr Sam Prince from the Sam Prince Group and broad discussions and healthy debate among our 35 attendees. We discussed the challenges faced by health-tech businesses that arise from the current siloed, unstructured nature of health data across the Australian healthcare industry and what can be done to improve the collection and sharing of health data for the benefit of both industry participants and patients. The consensus view was that governments, health service providers, communities, individuals and emerging health tech businesses would all play a role in improving the quality of data collected, how it is stored, shared, analysed and used. These improvements will help build trust and grow consumer confidence which in turn should lead to health system efficiency improvements and better health outcomes.
March 28, 2019UK mobile market Q4 2018: Headwinds gathering for 2019
Market Outlook, ReportsFollowing record growth last quarter, the UK mobile market took a step down to just 0.9% growth in the quarter to December on the back of increasing pressure in the business market and the impact of out-of-bundle limits. 2019 looks set to be a tough year for the sector with: a series of potentially painful regulatory hits; markedly lower price rises than last year; and early signs of a degree of creeping competitive intensity. We view 5G as a much-needed means of expanding capacity in the sector with upsides from M2M and IoT likely to remain relatively small.
March 27, 2019NBN update plus our views on sale options and timing
Flash Report, ReportsKey NBN 1H19 financials were roughly in line with expectations, but the growing number of Service Class 0 premises may be a threat to NBN’s activation targets, and an opportunity for bypass options such as fixed wireless. Given the upcoming federal election, what sale options and strategies could the Government consider in 2019?.March 22, 2019Monthly Australian TMT Wrap: February 2019
Monthly wrap, ReportsFebruary saw an increased level of market activity in comparison to January. The uncertainty around the TPG-VHA merger continues, with TPG is likely to write down the value of its spectrum licenses and mobile network assets in event the merger doesn’t get ACCC approval.
March 22, 2019BritBox’s muted arrival in the UK: ITV FY 2018 results
Flash Report, ReportsAfter the heights that Love Island and the World Cup took ITV to in H1, the broadcaster held on over the tougher last few months of 2018 to see growth in ad revenue (0.8%) and total viewing (linear and VOD, 3%). However, it was the announcement of the subscription video service BritBox—with the discussions around the “strategic partnership” with the BBC in its concluding phase—that garnered most interest. ITV’s investment in the service is modest when compared to its global competitors—up to £25 million in 2019, £40 million in 2020 and declining thereafter—but it is a prudent low-risk entry into what is an expanding but difficult market.
March 21, 2019TPG 1H19 – Business sector to be a key focus as NBN erodes Cons [...]
Flash Report, ReportsOn 19th March 2019 TPG released its 1H19 results. Overall profit plunged to A$46.9mn compared to A$198.6mn 1HY18, though much of this was a result of the write down of its spectrum assets and small cells mobile network. The announcement was also the clearest indicator of TPG potentially no longer offering entry level A$60 per month NBN, echoing industry consensus that NBN pricing is unsustainable.
March 20, 2019Virgin Media UK: proceeding with caution as speed advantage comes [...]
Flash Report, ReportsAfter strong underlying 2018 results, the more subdued outlook for 2019 is an important shift, driven by regulatory pressure on mobile, higher programming costs, one-offs and softening demand. Lightning is continuing to drive market share gains in new build areas, and should provide a 2ppt tailwind to revenue growth in 2019, but enhanced visibility on the economics of rollout suggests that its conservative approach is a wise one. In existing build areas, Virgin Media is facing-off pricing pressure from TalkTalk on high speed, and potentially from BT on even higher ultrafast speeds, with it moderating pricing and launching a market-beating 500Mbps product in Spring 2019 in response.
March 19, 2019UK online advertising: Brexit year forecast and trends
Market Outlook, ReportsUK online advertising spend continued its double-digit growth in 2018, up 11% to reach nearly £13bn in annual spend or 58% of the total advertising market, but a no-deal consumer downturn could nearly stop growth this year. Google, Facebook, Amazon, professional services firms and the largest marketing cloud companies are the biggest winners, while content media, media agencies and independent advertising technology firms languish. Self-regulation has improved as pressure mounts on advertising technology firms, but interventions by both privacy and competition authorities are now inevitable.
March 15, 2019TikTok’s challenge to Western social media
Flash Report, ReportsLaunched to the world in September 2017, TikTok is the first Chinese app to pose a serious threat to Western social media companies as it attracts hundreds of millions of Generation Z users around the globe. Privately-owned parent company Bytedance earned $7 billion in online advertising revenues in 2018 and is valued at $75 billion, placing it ahead of Uber as the world’s most valuable internet start-up, with an IPO likely this year. Bytedance’s goal of earning half its revenue outside China by 2022 is far from certain. In order to hit the target, TikTok will need to attain super scale with best-in-class revenue per user, an unlikely combination.March 14, 2019Huawei and UK 5G: Identifying the risks
Market Outlook, ReportsGovernments and operators have come under increasing pressure to exclude Huawei’s 5G equipment from national networks, with justifications usually kept vague and wide-ranging rather than specific, and no evidence provided. Given the role of Huawei’s 5G equipment in the network and the extent of existing testing and checking, realistic security risks that apply to Huawei and not to all other equipment suppliers are hard to conceive. The risks of any ban are however very real; with Huawei one of only three global-scale telecoms equipment suppliers, and the preferred early choice for 5G radio equipment in the UK, removing this choice will massively increase costs and delay roll-outs of cutting-edge connectivity.Sector Telecom.Free
March 13, 2019Equity crowdfunding in Australia: We have lift-off
Free Sample, Market Outlook, ReportsEquity crowdfunding has been celebrated as a game-changing alternative to venture capital and traditional business loans but has until recently been off limits to most retail investors. With the lifting of Australian restrictions on who can use equity crowdfunding platforms, there is cautious uptake from consumers and start-ups – with several platforms establishing a clear lead – but the claim of outsize returns will take time to be tested.March 12, 2019The future of UK video viewing: forecasts to 2028
Flash Report, ReportsLinear TV is still a mass market medium, watched by 90% of the UK population each week. However, our latest viewing forecasts predict broadcasters will account for two-thirds of all video viewing in 2028, down from c. 80% today, due to the relentless rise of online video services. Total viewing will continue to increase as more short-form content is squeezed into people’s days, particularly on portable devices, but the key battleground for eyeballs will remain the TV screen. The online shift has already had a huge impact among younger age groups, with only 55% of under-35s’ current viewing to broadcasters. Older audiences are slowly starting to follow suit, but have a long way to go.
March 11, 2019ACCC’s Digital Platforms Inquiry – more regulation on the hor [...]
Flash Report, ReportsGoogle and Facebook have made their submissions relating to the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Inquiry. Both tech giants have focused their attention on the ACCC’s recommendation for the need to establish an "algorithm" regulator. If implemented it will have major consequences to the tech giants and potentially other players.
March 8, 2019GDPR tested on Google, ad tech and Facebook
Flash Report, ReportsRecently issued regulator rulings on Google, ad tech companies and Facebook challenge prevailing online advertising practices of obtaining user consent under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Rulings from France on Google and ad tech partners of media owners called them out for inadequate disclosure to users, and excessive merging and processing of data. In a landmark precedent for Germany, the Federal Cartel Office found that Facebook lacked “freely given” consent from users, calling its terms “exploitative” and an abuse of its dominant position, also harming competitors.Free
March 7, 2019Mobile payments – New Zealand moving from cashless to walletles [...]
Flash Report, Free Sample, ReportsThe New Zealand 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.
March 6, 2019Sports SVOD – Can Foxtel deliver a KO?
Flash Report, ReportsOf all the video content genres, sport has the best reputation for delivering audience reach and a large number of viewers for traditional TV operators. But the rise of Sports SVOD and OTT platforms is threatening to undermine the established order. Foxtel has launched its standalone sports streaming service – Kayo Sports and signed up 100,000 subscribers within the first 3 months of launch.March 4, 2019O2 UK delivering well on many, but not all, fronts
Flash Report, ReportsO2’s Q4 results delivered market-leading service revenue growth of 3%, double-digit EBITDA growth, sustained strong net adds and low churn. With ARPU service revenue growth flat, all of the growth came from other service revenue including M2M (machine-to-machine) and MVNO; a lumpy category up by more than 40%. Following a period of strong outperformance, O2 will face some challenges in 2019: some cost inflation to mitigate and the risk of a churn increase following December’s outage although experience suggests this is likely to be short-lived.Sector Telecom.March 4, 2019MWC – all very exciting but where’s the money?
Flash Report, ReportsThe combination of 5G, AI, IoT and big data were evangelised at MWC as generating massive scope for the transformation of multiple industries. That much is probably true, but it is the tech and consultancy companies who will likely receive the benefits, with connectivity revenue likely to be modest. For the operators, 5G brings more capacity much needed for hungry smartphone users, and perhaps the opportunity to transform themselves into a leaner operating model.
March 1, 2019The Next solution to ecommerce
Flash Report, ReportsConsumers have more shopping options than ever, forcing businesses to expand how and when they offer services. Online giants Amazon and Alibaba are adding physical retail to extend their routes to market. Omnichannel provides consumers an enhanced, seamless brand experience from research and discovery to purchase, delivery and after-sales, and allows businesses to react to changing consumer preferences more flexibly. Next is an omnichannel success story, introducing 48-hour home delivery in 1988 and online sales in 1999. Its market-leading fashion ecommerce business offers lessons on the future of retail.
March 1, 2019Vocus 1H19 earnings update: Losses in both Consumer and Business
Flash Report, ReportsOn 27th February Vocus announced its 1H19 earnings. Revenue increased slightly but EBITDA and profits remain on a downward trend. Consumer and business segments saw large declines in revenue and SIOs. In a year of “resetting”, Vocus faces the difficult challenge of extracting value out of its fibre assets through enterprise projects and transforming its Consumer segment with a renewed focus on mobile and wireless.Sector Telecom.
February 27, 2019The price is right for UK’s national newspapers
Flash Report, ReportsThe average cover price of national newspapers has risen by 58% since 2010, more than twice the CPI increase of 22%. Are publishers “shooting themselves in the foot” at a time when buyers and advertisers are defecting to online?. To settle this, we analysed all the cover price events by national titles between 2010 and 2018, which reveals the relative success of The Times when it has raised its price. For mid-market and popular titles, cover price hikes have on balance reduced circulation revenues and, by lowering reach, drained advertising revenue: a lose-lose scenario.Sector Media.
February 27, 2019oOh!media CY18 update: market outlook remains strong…
Flash Report, ReportsOn 25th February 2019, oOh!media reported its full year CY18 earnings update.Venture Insights forecasts strong growth for the OOH market. oOh!media reported strong earnings and looks set to benefit from the ongoing momentum in the OOH space albeit with some short-term slowdown due to the elections.Sector Media.
February 26, 2019Seven and Nine 1H19 update – increasing share in a declining ma [...]
Flash Report, ReportsSeven West Media and Nine Entertainment reported their 1HFY19 earnings last week. With a challenging environment for the core FTA business, traditional broadcasters must focus on improving audience share, driving new audience growth through digital content offerings and taking costs out of the business.Sector Media.
February 22, 2019BT Global Services: Playing a bad hand as well as it can
Flash Report, ReportsBTGS’s strategic plan seems like a sensible move in a very challenging market but it heralds its transition to a new operating model where its competitive advantage is largely eroded, its addressable market squeezed and it is arguably sub-scale. Although hybrid infrastructure and revenues from transition to cloud-based IT will provide something of a cushion, guidance and consensus forecasts are too optimistic in our view – cost-cutting plans are therefore likely deficient. Longer term, with IT services increasingly easy for corporates to manage themselves, diminished appetite for hybrid networks and global giants such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google squeezing out the middle-man, the space that BTGS occupies is likely to be considerably smaller.
February 22, 2019Time to create an addressable UK TV market
Flash Report, ReportsAddressable linear TV advertising, where precision-targeted ads overlay default linear ads, could enhance the TV proposition for advertisers, agencies and viewers, benefiting all broadcasters. In the context of dwindling linear viewing and rocketing online video ad spends, the adoption of Sky AdSmart and similar services on YouView and Freeview could take addressable TV ads from a sideshow to a pillar of revenue. Addressable linear is a bigger and more strategic prize for broadcasters than BVOD ads. Sky holds the key to wider adoption of its AdSmart platform if it can find a way – or a price – to bring ITV Sales and/or 4 Sales on board.February 21, 2019BT Q3 2018/19 results: Openreach stronger than it looks, but Cons [...]
Flash Report, ReportsBT’s Q3 results were a little mixed, with mobile particularly weak, but the company remains on track to meet/exceed its (fairly conservative) guidance for the current year, and hit (modest) consensus expectations for 2019/20. Openreach was very weak at the headline level (-9%), but stripping out an accounting effect and internal revenue the division grew by 2% by our estimates despite significant price cuts, and full fibre roll-out is progressing well. While Openreach should accelerate this year, Consumer will be hit by a price rise holiday and slowing mobile, with investors likely having to wait for existing sports rights contracts to play out to see significant profitability improvement.February 20, 2019Monthly Australian TMT Wrap: January 2019
Monthly wrap, ReportsJanuary was a rather quiet month in the Australian M&A space, with the ELMO Software/ BoxSuite’s binding sale agreement as the only major transaction. The launch of 5G networks in Australia continues with the results of the 3.6GHz spectrum auctions, though TPG will scale down its deployment due to the Huawei equipment ban.-
NewMay 22, 2019
‘Is Orange the new Bank?’ Telcos and Fintech
Focus Report, ReportsAs OTT services grow in value, telco revenues are moderating and the lack of growth opportunities in the core business is driving telcos to look at adjacencies. Fintech is disrupting traditional financial services and offers a high value adjacency for telcos to play in where they can maximise their natural strengths.NewMay 16, 2019Australian Fintech Breakfast Roundtable: Fintech ready to disrupt [...]
Focus Report, ReportsOn May 14th 2019 Venture Insights hosted a Fintech Breakfast with a number of prominent members of the Australian fintech community. The breakfast centred on Venture Insights’ latest Fintech consumer survey which analysed the attitude of Australians to the incumbents and the challengers.April 2, 2019Apple Card – allowing the fox into the henhouse…
Free Sample, ReportsIn the four years since Apple Pay was launched, major banks and retailers around the world have allowed customers to use their iPhones to make payments. On 25 March, Apple went one step further and announced its plans to release a digital-first credit card, Apple Card, partnering with global payments network MasterCard and investment bank Goldman Sachs.FreeMarch 13, 2019Equity crowdfunding in Australia: We have lift-off
Free Sample, Market Outlook, ReportsEquity crowdfunding has been celebrated as a game-changing alternative to venture capital and traditional business loans but has until recently been off limits to most retail investors. With the lifting of Australian restrictions on who can use equity crowdfunding platforms, there is cautious uptake from consumers and start-ups – with several platforms establishing a clear lead – but the claim of outsize returns will take time to be tested.FreeMarch 7, 2019Mobile payments – New Zealand moving from cashless to walletles [...]
Flash Report, Free Sample, ReportsThe New Zealand 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.Free
February 13, 2019AI in Insurance: Disruption Assured
Free Sample, Market Outlook, ReportsArtificial intelligence (AI) has enormous potential to disrupt across the data- and process-heavy insurance value chain. The growth of AI startups and adoption of (AI) by Australian insurers began in earnest over the last two years. The approach taken so far is one of collaboration rather than direct competition between incumbents and disruptors.Free
January 29, 2019AI in Financial Services: Who wins the future of banking?
Free Sample, Market Outlook, ReportsFinancial services are ripe for AI disruption; they are data-heavy, with significant potential for automation. The question is not if, but how fast, and how profoundly, would AI reshape the competitive landscape. In Australia, the AI ecosystem is exciting, but has yet to reach critical mass.Free
January 16, 2019Disruption in Australian Super: Only skin deep?
Focus Report, Free Sample, ReportsAustralia’s superannuation system is broadly admired. Disruptive entrants have thus far focused on user experience, ethical alignment and branding rather than fees or performance. However, regulatory change will drive significant shifts in the industry in the coming years.Free
October 30, 2018Neobanks – The David against banking Goliaths?
Focus Report, Free Sample, 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.$0.00Free
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.$0.00Free
July 6, 2018Westpac leads the Fintech investment charge
Focus Report, Free Sample, 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.$0.00Free
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.$0.00Free
April 17, 2018IoT & Cryptocurrency Mining: Cyber Security Update
Focus Report, Free Sample, 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.Free
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.Free
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.$0.00Free
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?
Free Sample, 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
Free Sample, 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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April 1, 2019
Expectations versus reality in data-driven healthcare – how [...]
Flash Report, ReportsOn 19 March 2019, Venture Insights conducted a health sector breakfast roundtable (in our Melbourne and Sydney offices) to discuss the topic “Expectations versus reality in data-driven healthcare – how do we solve the medical data conundrum?”. We had two speakers: Karn Ghosh, CEO and founder of health-tech firm Hit100, and Dr Sam Prince from the Sam Prince Group and broad discussions and healthy debate among our 35 attendees. We discussed the challenges faced by health-tech businesses that arise from the current siloed, unstructured nature of health data across the Australian healthcare industry and what can be done to improve the collection and sharing of health data for the benefit of both industry participants and patients. The consensus view was that governments, health service providers, communities, individuals and emerging health tech businesses would all play a role in improving the quality of data collected, how it is stored, shared, analysed and used. These improvements will help build trust and grow consumer confidence which in turn should lead to health system efficiency improvements and better health outcomes.Free
November 28, 2018Telemedicine and AI Outlook in Primary Care
Flash Report, Free Sample, 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.Free
November 27, 2018Telemedicine in Australia
Flash Report, Free Sample, 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.Free
November 2, 2018AI and Genomics in Healthcare
Flash Report, Free Sample, 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.Free
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.Free
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.$0.00Free
August 10, 2017Disruption in Aged Care – Rise of the Silver Surfer
Free Sample, 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.Free
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 -
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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.$0.00 -
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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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May 14, 2019
Facebook doubles down on advertising
Flash Report, ReportsAfter the most challenging period in its history since 2012, Facebook has been able to stabilise its fundamental metrics and announce a major product overhaul. Despite talk of a business model pivot, Facebook’s focus remains on advertising, whose growth will remain concentrated in developed markets. News publishers wishing to stay relevant on the upgraded product set need to target exclusive layers of social interaction, with groups particularly important.April 16, 2019Google and game streaming: double or quits
Market Outlook, ReportsGoogle’s Stadia promises the most credible game streaming service yet, but building a subscription bundle of top titles would require an all-out bet in the sector. Google is building its own game studios – to win over others it must overcome a troubled history in gaming, mitigating risks to developer business models and creative integrity. Games are much more technically demanding to stream than video, presenting an advantage to Google, Microsoft and Amazon – and a boost to telecoms network demand, welcomed by operators.April 12, 2019Monthly Australian TMT Wrap: March 2019
Market Outlook, ReportsThe number of announced transactions in March is low relative to February. A number of companies raised capital for a range of purposes, which were well received by the market. The volatility in Lyft’s share price post listing has shown that the market has struggled to price Lyft due to a lack of comparable listed companies in similar sector.April 10, 2019Mobile Sports Streaming, Gaming and E-sports: A revenue opportuni [...]
Market Outlook, ReportsThere’s been a lot of speculation in the market about the revenue upside for 5G operators. Our latest Australian consumer survey shows there is good 5G market awareness and that 18% of subscribers would consider paying a price premium for a better 5G network experience. Venture Insights believes a 5G product which allows subscribers to move to a separate 5G slice which provides enhanced data throughput would clearly work with the gaming and sports consumer segments and benefit the network provider if offered as a (for example) $5 - $10 monthly option. The risk is that if Telcos stick with AYCE and unlimited plans, then the platform operators (such as Google Stadia) will benefit from the cloud based gaming subscriptions and take advantage of a better 5G networkApril 5, 2019Apple’s showtime: everybody gets a service, partners get pennie [...]
Flash Report, ReportsApple is strengthening its household model by doubling down on family-friendly content subscriptions and payments. The model is reliant on hard bargains with mainly US partners, which risks sacrificing potential scale for a short-term boost in margin dollars. The new services offer glimpses of novel concepts, but stop short of taking risks to truly differentiate—a problem in TV, where Apple’s distribution advantage is slimmer than Oprah would have it.April 3, 2019eSports and Broadcasters – to TV or not to TV…
Flash Report, ReportseSports viewership and revenues have grown significantly in the past few years and look set to continue growing rapidly. The rapid growth and the much-coveted millennial viewer base has caught the eye of traditional broadcasters who are looking at ways to explore this new content genre. But has the eSports ‘gravy train’ already left the station?April 2, 2019Apple Card – allowing the fox into the henhouse…
Free Sample, ReportsIn the four years since Apple Pay was launched, major banks and retailers around the world have allowed customers to use their iPhones to make payments. On 25 March, Apple went one step further and announced its plans to release a digital-first credit card, Apple Card, partnering with global payments network MasterCard and investment bank Goldman Sachs.March 22, 2019Monthly Australian TMT Wrap: February 2019
Monthly wrap, ReportsFebruary saw an increased level of market activity in comparison to January. The uncertainty around the TPG-VHA merger continues, with TPG is likely to write down the value of its spectrum licenses and mobile network assets in event the merger doesn’t get ACCC approval.March 15, 2019TikTok’s challenge to Western social media
Flash Report, ReportsLaunched to the world in September 2017, TikTok is the first Chinese app to pose a serious threat to Western social media companies as it attracts hundreds of millions of Generation Z users around the globe. Privately-owned parent company Bytedance earned $7 billion in online advertising revenues in 2018 and is valued at $75 billion, placing it ahead of Uber as the world’s most valuable internet start-up, with an IPO likely this year. Bytedance’s goal of earning half its revenue outside China by 2022 is far from certain. In order to hit the target, TikTok will need to attain super scale with best-in-class revenue per user, an unlikely combination.FreeMarch 13, 2019Equity crowdfunding in Australia: We have lift-off
Free Sample, Market Outlook, ReportsEquity crowdfunding has been celebrated as a game-changing alternative to venture capital and traditional business loans but has until recently been off limits to most retail investors. With the lifting of Australian restrictions on who can use equity crowdfunding platforms, there is cautious uptake from consumers and start-ups – with several platforms establishing a clear lead – but the claim of outsize returns will take time to be tested.March 11, 2019ACCC’s Digital Platforms Inquiry – more regulation on the hor [...]
Flash Report, ReportsGoogle and Facebook have made their submissions relating to the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Inquiry. Both tech giants have focused their attention on the ACCC’s recommendation for the need to establish an "algorithm" regulator. If implemented it will have major consequences to the tech giants and potentially other players.March 8, 2019GDPR tested on Google, ad tech and Facebook
Flash Report, ReportsRecently issued regulator rulings on Google, ad tech companies and Facebook challenge prevailing online advertising practices of obtaining user consent under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Rulings from France on Google and ad tech partners of media owners called them out for inadequate disclosure to users, and excessive merging and processing of data. In a landmark precedent for Germany, the Federal Cartel Office found that Facebook lacked “freely given” consent from users, calling its terms “exploitative” and an abuse of its dominant position, also harming competitors.FreeMarch 7, 2019Mobile payments – New Zealand moving from cashless to walletles [...]
Flash Report, Free Sample, ReportsThe New Zealand 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.March 4, 2019MWC – all very exciting but where’s the money?
Flash Report, ReportsThe combination of 5G, AI, IoT and big data were evangelised at MWC as generating massive scope for the transformation of multiple industries. That much is probably true, but it is the tech and consultancy companies who will likely receive the benefits, with connectivity revenue likely to be modest. For the operators, 5G brings more capacity much needed for hungry smartphone users, and perhaps the opportunity to transform themselves into a leaner operating model.February 20, 2019Monthly Australian TMT Wrap: January 2019
Monthly wrap, ReportsJanuary was a rather quiet month in the Australian M&A space, with the ELMO Software/ BoxSuite’s binding sale agreement as the only major transaction. The launch of 5G networks in Australia continues with the results of the 3.6GHz spectrum auctions, though TPG will scale down its deployment due to the Huawei equipment ban.FreeFebruary 13, 2019AI in Insurance: Disruption Assured
Free Sample, Market Outlook, ReportsArtificial intelligence (AI) has enormous potential to disrupt across the data- and process-heavy insurance value chain. The growth of AI startups and adoption of (AI) by Australian insurers began in earnest over the last two years. The approach taken so far is one of collaboration rather than direct competition between incumbents and disruptors.
February 5, 2019Why does Amazon sell the Echo?
Flash Report, ReportsSmart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home accelerated their prodigious rate of adoption in Q4 2018, and we expect they will soon be in 20% of UK homes. Amazon and Google price devices low to drive adoption to mass-market levels and win the race to own the home, in contrast to Apple’s profit-making strategy for its speaker. Echo’s main strategic benefits to Amazon are the scope for data collection and the intelligence it supports, and gatekeeping partners’ access to customers.Sector Technology.FreeJanuary 29, 2019AI in Financial Services: Who wins the future of banking?
Free Sample, Market Outlook, ReportsFinancial services are ripe for AI disruption; they are data-heavy, with significant potential for automation. The question is not if, but how fast, and how profoundly, would AI reshape the competitive landscape. In Australia, the AI ecosystem is exciting, but has yet to reach critical mass.January 21, 2019UK advertising spend: Brexit year forecasts
Market Outlook, ReportsOur central case forecast with orderly EU withdrawal predicts 2.7% growth for total UK advertising spend, down from 4.7% in 2018. We have a no-deal Brexit scenario that predicts a smaller advertising recession than in 2009, with total ad spend declining 3% and display down 5.3% in 2019. The total advertising figures partly mask the pressure on UK consumers, through an expansion of the measured advertising spend universe. This is due to significant self-serve online advertising growth by SMEs, and non-advertising marketing budgets moving to online advertising platforms. In a downturn, we’d expect advertisers to become more tactical, which would disproportionally affect display media including TV, which is further affected by declining commercial impacts among younger adults. Search and social advertising would see only small growth through the first year of a recession.January 17, 2019Apple and Amazon bury the hatchet
Flash Report, ReportsAmazon’s recent deals with Apple in TV, music and device sales mark a turning point after a decade of frosty relations. The context for this involves shifting priorities at both firms, growing pressure on Apple’s iPhone business, and rivals in common — first and foremost Google, but also the likes of Netflix and Spotify. The uneasy alliance helps both companies consolidate their strengths in the platform competition over media and the connected home — but trouble already brews.-
NewMay 20, 2019
Disney gets the final piece of Hulu
Flash Report, ReportsDisney announced that it would acquire Comcast’s 33% share of Hulu in a put/call agreement that can be enacted by either party from January 2024, while taking full operational control of the vehicle immediately. Under the agreement Disney will pay Comcast a minimum of $9 billion for its current stake, provided Comcast fulfils agreed capital calls, which going forward would be just over $500 million/year. Disney secured the continued licensing of NBCUniversal content for Hulu, contributing about 30% of Hulu’s library, but Comcast can loosen obligations to Hulu for the launch of its own SVOD service in 2020.May 14, 2019Facebook doubles down on advertising
Flash Report, ReportsAfter the most challenging period in its history since 2012, Facebook has been able to stabilise its fundamental metrics and announce a major product overhaul. Despite talk of a business model pivot, Facebook’s focus remains on advertising, whose growth will remain concentrated in developed markets. News publishers wishing to stay relevant on the upgraded product set need to target exclusive layers of social interaction, with groups particularly important.May 13, 2019Sky UK Q1 2019 results: weak ARPU hits bottom line
Market Outlook, ReportsSky made a surprisingly weak start to 2019, with revenue growth decelerating to 1.9% (the first time below 4% since the European businesses merged in 2015), due to weaker ARPU trends. However, Sky expects improvement to follow, blaming one-off factors in the quarter. The ARPU weakness drove EBITDA down 11.3%, but this should bounce back across the rest of 2019 as football rights costs turn from a drag to a positive. Comcast highlighted collaborations with Sky across tech, advertising, content distribution and even news, stating it is on track to achieve the anticipated $500 million in annual synergies over the next couple of yearsMay 7, 2019Sports streaming and 5G – everyone wants in…
Market Outlook, ReportsLive sport remains an important content genre with the ability to attract consumer eyeballs and improve customer loyalty for both telcos and TV operators. However, TV operators (FTA and Pay TV) which until recently were the undisputed leaders in providing sports content, are being disrupted by sports streaming apps and telcos.May 6, 2019UK Online media monetisation
Market Outlook, ReportsThe commercial challenges for media online are well-documented: online advertising pays for utilities such as search and social networking many times over, but not for media beyond user-generated content and low-investment journalism. There are also costs from a user perspective: wasted time, harmful content created to attract views, and the collection, sale, use and frequent leakage to criminals of personal data. Different sectors have found varying success with alternatives: games, video and music are attracting user payments, driving the paid online economy up 15.5% to £8.2 billion in 2018.May 3, 2019Disney+ and Hulu: a flexible pitch to consumers
Market Outlook, ReportsDisney now controls third-party content aggregator Hulu, which has 25 million subscribers in the US. Ramped up by Fox content, Hulu’s operating losses are expected to peak in FY2019 at $1.5 billion, with profits by FY2023 or FY2024. Serving only Disney content, Disney+ launches in the US at the low price of $6.99/month this November, and in 2020 in Europe and Asia Pacific in 2021, aiming to reach the challenging goal of 60-90 million subscribers in five years. ESPN+, Hulu, Disney+ combined could contribute 13% of Disney’s revenues by 2024, which does not intend to disturb existing channels and windows for catalogue and new content, aside from withdrawing content from Netflix.May 2, 2019The new lifespan of UK TV content: wearing out more quickly
Market Outlook, ReportsThe economic model of TV production relies upon a vibrant market for back catalogue content; programming that has traditionally driven the desirability of many linear channels and slots. New release strategies, along with the hyper-concentrated viewing encouraged by video-on-demand and the round-the-clock availability of shows calls the longevity of the value of content into question. Our analysis suggests that programmes that previously would be leisurely distributed through broadcast could now feasibly be “worn out” more quickly. This could have ramifications for the whole sector, with more content investment required “upfront” and new financial and distribution models required.April 29, 2019UK Out of Home: opportunities and threats crowd the doorway
Market Outlook, ReportsOut of Home (OOH) is bucking the trend in UK traditional media and continues to grow, driven by the digitisation of inventory as the paper estate recedes. Digital OOH now accounts for 50% of total OOH ad spend. Soon digitisation will slow, as much OOH inventory cannot be converted from posters to digital screens; sustained growth will require a different form of change. The industry is amidst structural shift – driven by consolidation and automation – which could be wholly positive, but a lack of cooperation between major players risks stifling innovation and the medium’s growth.April 17, 2019Cinema market trends 2019 – Australia and New Zealand
Market Outlook, ReportsCinema revenues in Australia are projected to decline gradually over the next 5 years primarily due to cheaper substitutes on offer for consumers. Netflix has paved the way for cinema disruption and distributed 75 original films in 2018. Fellow disrupter MoviePass has continued to struggle due to an unprofitable business model.April 16, 2019Google and game streaming: double or quits
Market Outlook, ReportsGoogle’s Stadia promises the most credible game streaming service yet, but building a subscription bundle of top titles would require an all-out bet in the sector. Google is building its own game studios – to win over others it must overcome a troubled history in gaming, mitigating risks to developer business models and creative integrity. Games are much more technically demanding to stream than video, presenting an advantage to Google, Microsoft and Amazon – and a boost to telecoms network demand, welcomed by operators.April 12, 2019Monthly Australian TMT Wrap: March 2019
Market Outlook, ReportsThe number of announced transactions in March is low relative to February. A number of companies raised capital for a range of purposes, which were well received by the market. The volatility in Lyft’s share price post listing has shown that the market has struggled to price Lyft due to a lack of comparable listed companies in similar sector.April 10, 2019Mobile Sports Streaming, Gaming and E-sports: A revenue opportuni [...]
Market Outlook, ReportsThere’s been a lot of speculation in the market about the revenue upside for 5G operators. Our latest Australian consumer survey shows there is good 5G market awareness and that 18% of subscribers would consider paying a price premium for a better 5G network experience. Venture Insights believes a 5G product which allows subscribers to move to a separate 5G slice which provides enhanced data throughput would clearly work with the gaming and sports consumer segments and benefit the network provider if offered as a (for example) $5 - $10 monthly option. The risk is that if Telcos stick with AYCE and unlimited plans, then the platform operators (such as Google Stadia) will benefit from the cloud based gaming subscriptions and take advantage of a better 5G networkApril 5, 2019Apple’s showtime: everybody gets a service, partners get pennie [...]
Flash Report, ReportsApple is strengthening its household model by doubling down on family-friendly content subscriptions and payments. The model is reliant on hard bargains with mainly US partners, which risks sacrificing potential scale for a short-term boost in margin dollars. The new services offer glimpses of novel concepts, but stop short of taking risks to truly differentiate—a problem in TV, where Apple’s distribution advantage is slimmer than Oprah would have it.April 4, 2019BBC Studios and Discovery in the UK: a new SVOD and the UKTV spli [...]
Flash Report, ReportsThe split of UKTV has been announced with the lifestyle channels going to Discovery, while the balance, along with the UKTV brand and VOD service, retained by the BBC, costing BBC Studios £173 million. In the same release, a new, global Discovery SVOD “powered” by BBC natural history and factual programming was announced, backed by a ten-year content partnership. The deal is a positive step for the BBC, which safeguards against flaky brand attribution internationally and the potential loss of revenues from Netflix, which is becoming more choosy when acquiring content.April 3, 2019eSports and Broadcasters – to TV or not to TV…
Flash Report, ReportseSports viewership and revenues have grown significantly in the past few years and look set to continue growing rapidly. The rapid growth and the much-coveted millennial viewer base has caught the eye of traditional broadcasters who are looking at ways to explore this new content genre. But has the eSports ‘gravy train’ already left the station?March 22, 2019Monthly Australian TMT Wrap: February 2019
Monthly wrap, ReportsFebruary saw an increased level of market activity in comparison to January. The uncertainty around the TPG-VHA merger continues, with TPG is likely to write down the value of its spectrum licenses and mobile network assets in event the merger doesn’t get ACCC approval.March 22, 2019BritBox’s muted arrival in the UK: ITV FY 2018 results
Flash Report, ReportsAfter the heights that Love Island and the World Cup took ITV to in H1, the broadcaster held on over the tougher last few months of 2018 to see growth in ad revenue (0.8%) and total viewing (linear and VOD, 3%). However, it was the announcement of the subscription video service BritBox—with the discussions around the “strategic partnership” with the BBC in its concluding phase—that garnered most interest. ITV’s investment in the service is modest when compared to its global competitors—up to £25 million in 2019, £40 million in 2020 and declining thereafter—but it is a prudent low-risk entry into what is an expanding but difficult market.March 19, 2019UK online advertising: Brexit year forecast and trends
Market Outlook, ReportsUK online advertising spend continued its double-digit growth in 2018, up 11% to reach nearly £13bn in annual spend or 58% of the total advertising market, but a no-deal consumer downturn could nearly stop growth this year. Google, Facebook, Amazon, professional services firms and the largest marketing cloud companies are the biggest winners, while content media, media agencies and independent advertising technology firms languish. Self-regulation has improved as pressure mounts on advertising technology firms, but interventions by both privacy and competition authorities are now inevitable.March 15, 2019TikTok’s challenge to Western social media
Flash Report, ReportsLaunched to the world in September 2017, TikTok is the first Chinese app to pose a serious threat to Western social media companies as it attracts hundreds of millions of Generation Z users around the globe. Privately-owned parent company Bytedance earned $7 billion in online advertising revenues in 2018 and is valued at $75 billion, placing it ahead of Uber as the world’s most valuable internet start-up, with an IPO likely this year. Bytedance’s goal of earning half its revenue outside China by 2022 is far from certain. In order to hit the target, TikTok will need to attain super scale with best-in-class revenue per user, an unlikely combination.March 12, 2019The future of UK video viewing: forecasts to 2028
Flash Report, ReportsLinear TV is still a mass market medium, watched by 90% of the UK population each week. However, our latest viewing forecasts predict broadcasters will account for two-thirds of all video viewing in 2028, down from c. 80% today, due to the relentless rise of online video services. Total viewing will continue to increase as more short-form content is squeezed into people’s days, particularly on portable devices, but the key battleground for eyeballs will remain the TV screen. The online shift has already had a huge impact among younger age groups, with only 55% of under-35s’ current viewing to broadcasters. Older audiences are slowly starting to follow suit, but have a long way to go.-
NewMay 22, 2019
‘Is Orange the new Bank?’ Telcos and Fintech
Focus Report, ReportsAs OTT services grow in value, telco revenues are moderating and the lack of growth opportunities in the core business is driving telcos to look at adjacencies. Fintech is disrupting traditional financial services and offers a high value adjacency for telcos to play in where they can maximise their natural strengths.May 15, 2019An alternative model to the proposed TPG-Vodafone merger
Flash Report, ReportsThe ACCC has blocked the $15bn merger between TPG and Vodafone, citing its belief that a merged entity would reduce competition given TPG’s ability to become a fourth mobile operator. TPG and Vodafone intend to appeal the decision and have extended their merger agreement to 31 August 2020. Venture Insights believes there is an alternative model which would enable infrastructure efficiencies and benefit competition.May 13, 2019Sky UK Q1 2019 results: weak ARPU hits bottom line
Market Outlook, ReportsSky made a surprisingly weak start to 2019, with revenue growth decelerating to 1.9% (the first time below 4% since the European businesses merged in 2015), due to weaker ARPU trends. However, Sky expects improvement to follow, blaming one-off factors in the quarter. The ARPU weakness drove EBITDA down 11.3%, but this should bounce back across the rest of 2019 as football rights costs turn from a drag to a positive. Comcast highlighted collaborations with Sky across tech, advertising, content distribution and even news, stating it is on track to achieve the anticipated $500 million in annual synergies over the next couple of yearsMay 1, 2019Say goodbye to SIM cards – the rise of eSIMs
Market Outlook, ReportsThe conventional SIM card has been integral for device connectivity for almost three decades. The arrival of eSIMs will remove space constraints greatly benefiting IoT devices and wearables. Although eSIMs can be seen as a threat to telcos - as they enable a more efficient churn process - we believe the benefits of eSIMs outweigh the risks.April 23, 20195G to change the shape of UK mobile
Market Outlook, ReportsThe capacity boost with 5G will be more important than any speed or latency uplift. We estimate a 7-fold increase in mobile capacity in the UK and 13x+ for O2 and H3G. We view fixed mobile substitution products as quite niche although the number of mobile-only households is likely to creep up. mmWave would have the capacity to substitute for fixed but has many hurdles to overcome. Capacity-constraints have tempered competition of late and their removal risks an increase in intensity, especially as H3G views itself as sub-scale – good for policy makers but another challenge to add to the industry’s woes.April 12, 2019Monthly Australian TMT Wrap: March 2019
Market Outlook, ReportsThe number of announced transactions in March is low relative to February. A number of companies raised capital for a range of purposes, which were well received by the market. The volatility in Lyft’s share price post listing has shown that the market has struggled to price Lyft due to a lack of comparable listed companies in similar sector.April 10, 2019Mobile Sports Streaming, Gaming and E-sports: A revenue opportuni [...]
Market Outlook, ReportsThere’s been a lot of speculation in the market about the revenue upside for 5G operators. Our latest Australian consumer survey shows there is good 5G market awareness and that 18% of subscribers would consider paying a price premium for a better 5G network experience. Venture Insights believes a 5G product which allows subscribers to move to a separate 5G slice which provides enhanced data throughput would clearly work with the gaming and sports consumer segments and benefit the network provider if offered as a (for example) $5 - $10 monthly option. The risk is that if Telcos stick with AYCE and unlimited plans, then the platform operators (such as Google Stadia) will benefit from the cloud based gaming subscriptions and take advantage of a better 5G networkApril 8, 2019The North heads south: European mobile in Q4 2018
Market Outlook, ReportsEuropean mobile service revenue growth dropped to -1.3% – its lowest level in three years – particularly disappointing as growth should be bouncing back post-EU roaming tariff cuts. Having enjoyed relatively favourable dynamics in 2018, the UK and Germany are facing marked changes in momentum from here. Regulation limiting intra-EU call prices could hit hard – up to 6% of revenues and 20% of EBITDA in the UK, although other EU countries may be less exposed due to lower tariffs currently.April 2, 2019UK broadband, telephony and pay TV trends Q4 2018
Market Outlook, ReportsMarket revenue growth accelerated to 3% in Q4, but it might never reach this level again, being helped by a never-to-be-repeated BT overlapping price rise. With price rises becoming more challenging in general, and superfast pricing under pressure in particular, maintaining/increasing ARPUs is becoming more difficult despite superfast volumes surging. Openreach’s ultrafast roll-out has accelerated, challenging Virgin Media and bringing the prospect of further price premia, but perhaps too late to be of significant benefit in 2019.March 28, 2019UK mobile market Q4 2018: Headwinds gathering for 2019
Market Outlook, ReportsFollowing record growth last quarter, the UK mobile market took a step down to just 0.9% growth in the quarter to December on the back of increasing pressure in the business market and the impact of out-of-bundle limits. 2019 looks set to be a tough year for the sector with: a series of potentially painful regulatory hits; markedly lower price rises than last year; and early signs of a degree of creeping competitive intensity. We view 5G as a much-needed means of expanding capacity in the sector with upsides from M2M and IoT likely to remain relatively small.March 27, 2019NBN update plus our views on sale options and timing
Flash Report, ReportsKey NBN 1H19 financials were roughly in line with expectations, but the growing number of Service Class 0 premises may be a threat to NBN’s activation targets, and an opportunity for bypass options such as fixed wireless. Given the upcoming federal election, what sale options and strategies could the Government consider in 2019?.March 22, 2019Monthly Australian TMT Wrap: February 2019
Monthly wrap, ReportsFebruary saw an increased level of market activity in comparison to January. The uncertainty around the TPG-VHA merger continues, with TPG is likely to write down the value of its spectrum licenses and mobile network assets in event the merger doesn’t get ACCC approval.March 22, 2019BritBox’s muted arrival in the UK: ITV FY 2018 results
Flash Report, ReportsAfter the heights that Love Island and the World Cup took ITV to in H1, the broadcaster held on over the tougher last few months of 2018 to see growth in ad revenue (0.8%) and total viewing (linear and VOD, 3%). However, it was the announcement of the subscription video service BritBox—with the discussions around the “strategic partnership” with the BBC in its concluding phase—that garnered most interest. ITV’s investment in the service is modest when compared to its global competitors—up to £25 million in 2019, £40 million in 2020 and declining thereafter—but it is a prudent low-risk entry into what is an expanding but difficult market.March 21, 2019TPG 1H19 – Business sector to be a key focus as NBN erodes Cons [...]
Flash Report, ReportsOn 19th March 2019 TPG released its 1H19 results. Overall profit plunged to A$46.9mn compared to A$198.6mn 1HY18, though much of this was a result of the write down of its spectrum assets and small cells mobile network. The announcement was also the clearest indicator of TPG potentially no longer offering entry level A$60 per month NBN, echoing industry consensus that NBN pricing is unsustainable.March 20, 2019Virgin Media UK: proceeding with caution as speed advantage comes [...]
Flash Report, ReportsAfter strong underlying 2018 results, the more subdued outlook for 2019 is an important shift, driven by regulatory pressure on mobile, higher programming costs, one-offs and softening demand. Lightning is continuing to drive market share gains in new build areas, and should provide a 2ppt tailwind to revenue growth in 2019, but enhanced visibility on the economics of rollout suggests that its conservative approach is a wise one. In existing build areas, Virgin Media is facing-off pricing pressure from TalkTalk on high speed, and potentially from BT on even higher ultrafast speeds, with it moderating pricing and launching a market-beating 500Mbps product in Spring 2019 in response.March 14, 2019Huawei and UK 5G: Identifying the risks
Market Outlook, ReportsGovernments and operators have come under increasing pressure to exclude Huawei’s 5G equipment from national networks, with justifications usually kept vague and wide-ranging rather than specific, and no evidence provided. Given the role of Huawei’s 5G equipment in the network and the extent of existing testing and checking, realistic security risks that apply to Huawei and not to all other equipment suppliers are hard to conceive. The risks of any ban are however very real; with Huawei one of only three global-scale telecoms equipment suppliers, and the preferred early choice for 5G radio equipment in the UK, removing this choice will massively increase costs and delay roll-outs of cutting-edge connectivity.Sector Telecom.March 4, 2019O2 UK delivering well on many, but not all, fronts
Flash Report, ReportsO2’s Q4 results delivered market-leading service revenue growth of 3%, double-digit EBITDA growth, sustained strong net adds and low churn. With ARPU service revenue growth flat, all of the growth came from other service revenue including M2M (machine-to-machine) and MVNO; a lumpy category up by more than 40%. Following a period of strong outperformance, O2 will face some challenges in 2019: some cost inflation to mitigate and the risk of a churn increase following December’s outage although experience suggests this is likely to be short-lived.Sector Telecom.March 4, 2019MWC – all very exciting but where’s the money?
Flash Report, ReportsThe combination of 5G, AI, IoT and big data were evangelised at MWC as generating massive scope for the transformation of multiple industries. That much is probably true, but it is the tech and consultancy companies who will likely receive the benefits, with connectivity revenue likely to be modest. For the operators, 5G brings more capacity much needed for hungry smartphone users, and perhaps the opportunity to transform themselves into a leaner operating model.March 1, 2019Vocus 1H19 earnings update: Losses in both Consumer and Business
Flash Report, ReportsOn 27th February Vocus announced its 1H19 earnings. Revenue increased slightly but EBITDA and profits remain on a downward trend. Consumer and business segments saw large declines in revenue and SIOs. In a year of “resetting”, Vocus faces the difficult challenge of extracting value out of its fibre assets through enterprise projects and transforming its Consumer segment with a renewed focus on mobile and wireless.Sector Telecom.February 22, 2019BT Global Services: Playing a bad hand as well as it can
Flash Report, ReportsBTGS’s strategic plan seems like a sensible move in a very challenging market but it heralds its transition to a new operating model where its competitive advantage is largely eroded, its addressable market squeezed and it is arguably sub-scale. Although hybrid infrastructure and revenues from transition to cloud-based IT will provide something of a cushion, guidance and consensus forecasts are too optimistic in our view – cost-cutting plans are therefore likely deficient. Longer term, with IT services increasingly easy for corporates to manage themselves, diminished appetite for hybrid networks and global giants such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google squeezing out the middle-man, the space that BTGS occupies is likely to be considerably smaller.
