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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. -
January 16, 2019Disruption in Australian Super: Only skin deep?
Flash Report, 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. -
January 15, 2019Six ways 5G will change the future of media and entertainment
Flash Report, ReportsThe media industry has been at the receiving end of significant disruption and innovation in the past decade. With 5G around the corner, the media industry is set for another round of innovation albeit this time with the opportunity to significantly improve their content offerings and provide a more richer video experience for consumers.Sector Media. -
December 19, 2018DAZN: lofty ambitions in OTT sports
Flash Report, ReportsWith sport at the heart of the pay-TV ecosystem, dedicated online-only streaming services could emerge as a threat to leading players like Sky. The liveliest newcomer, DAZN, launched in 2016 with mostly second-tier sports. Now in seven markets and counting, it has recently made bold moves into top-flight competitions, notably in Italy, albeit as a secondary player. History has not been kind to those challenging pay-TV incumbents by selling sports unbundled—particularly in Europe, as Setanta, ESPN, beIN SPORTS and Mediaset can testify. If DAZN can stick to secondary positions in premium rights, or simply less-expensive sports, perhaps it will fare better. -
December 14, 2018Iliad running out of luck
Flash Report, ReportsOnce on the winning side of strategic French telecoms price wars thanks to a struggling SFR, Iliad now looks wounded, and a possible prey, suffering from declining fixed and mobile KPIs – we expect cash flow losses of €617 million this year. Broadband, in a capex-heavy migration to higher margin fibre, may stabilise revenue with (somewhat) differentiating new ‘Freeboxes’ bundled with Netflix. Mobile (€2.3 billion burned since launch) hopes rest on on-net transition fostering profitability, but the 5G capex race looms. The new Italian mobile venture is explicitly and surprisingly behind the French legacy: it is already delivering a worse performance, and carrying much higher outlays (after 5G auctions spiralled). We believe Iliad has to revamp its model in France and consider differentiation with content to escape the discount brand trap.Sector Telecom. -
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. -
December 12, 2018UK TV advertising and consumer health check in Q4 2018
Flash Report, ReportsDespite the consumer's confidence having been shaken since the referendum vote for Brexit in June 2016, monthly retail sales, especially online, managed to grow above the private consumption trend until this October, a turning point that could mark the start of a retail recession extending into 2019. Since mid-2016, TV advertising and retailing have lost their historical covariance, with TV advertising's recession briefly interrupted in the first half of the year due to sunny weather and the FIFA World Cup. After a flat Q3, we predict a resumption of TV advertising's decline, expected to be down 3-4% in Q4 2018 year-on-year. 2018 will be flat for total TV advertising, still better than 2017. However, the medium's weakness will persist in the first half of 2019, with hopes for a recovery only in the second half, assuming an orderly withdrawal from the EU starts in March 2019. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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 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 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, 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. -
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 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. -
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 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.
