Are the Murdochs preparing to unleash Fox News on Australia? Media Man Int

Are the Murdochs preparing to unleash Fox News on Australia? -11th April 2021

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Fox News programs such as Tucker Carlson Tonight will be made available to the Australian public for a small price.CREDIT:AP

By Zoe Samios

Could the Murdochs be preparing to make right-wing US cable television station Fox News and its shows such as Tucker Carlson Tonight and Hannity available more broadly to Australians via a streaming service? Paperwork filed with at least one government agency suggests so.

Fox News’ company Fox Media LLC put in a request to the Australian trademark register for ‘Fox News International’ on February 1 - months after it registered its betting arm FoxBet locally. Fox News International is the brand of a streaming app which Fox launched in Mexico last August. It has since expanded to 30 countries including Chile, Panama, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Finland.

Fox News, which airs on Australia on Foxtel, is owned by Fox Corp, one of two multi-billion dollar listed vehicles the Murdoch family controls. Its chief executive, Lachlan Murdoch has pushed heavily into sports betting and has been recently linked with a tilt at local gaming operator Tabcorp.

The other listed vehicle, News Corp, owns Foxtel and a string of local and global newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and NT News.

Fox News is known for its conservative political stance and incendiary opinion shows, which set the template for a revamped strategy for Sky News in Australia. The network’s commentators were among the biggest supporters of former US president Donald Trump during his presidency. Mr Trump turned on the network after its election desk was the first to declare Joe Biden the victor in last year’s election. Fox News is also facing a major lawsuit which claims it amplified false claims about electoral fraud.

The network remains more popular than MSNBC and CNN in the US according to Nielsen Media research ratings data. Fox Corp has not disclosed any plans to make the Fox News International service available in Australia, and a spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

However, News Corp is preparing to overhaul its news offerings in Australia with a further push into streaming. The company is preparing to launch NewsFlash, its third streaming offering following sport focused Kayo and entertainment focused Binge. All of the services are much cheaper than Foxtel.

Industry sources familiar with the plans have said Newsflash is likely to launch later this year for about $5 a month. It is expected to feature content from Sky News Australia and other news channels currently available on Foxtel, but it is not clear whether Fox News will be among them.

The arrival of news-focused streaming services from the Murdoch empire could coincide with the removal of Sky News programs from regional television station WIN Corp. The creation of NewsFlash may also further fragment the “all in one place” offering that Foxtel currently provides.

Separately, Foxtel is preparing to release the IQ5 set top box later this year with inset YouTube and Netflix features. The IQ3 and IQ4 devices are expected to have YouTube available through the service from May. The IQ5 box will be able to connect directly to an internet modem, according to industry sources.

Fox Corporation has separately looked at entering the Australian market through the wagering industry. Lachlan Murdoch, who has made a large amount of money from investments into the US wagering market, has been weighing up potential partnerships with local gaming companies, and has been working behind the scenes with a US investment fund on a potential deal for Tabcorp’s bookmaking and media division. Fox Media LLC (part of Fox) received approval in late October for the FoxBet trademark in Australia.

(The Sydney Morning Herald)