Foxtel took a swipe at rivals Nine and Seven with a sports glove during IAB’s Australia Audio Summit in Sydney.
The subscription television and streaming company indicated that poaching, on top of grabbing talent at two key podcasts, is the name of the game.
During the buyer panel at IAB’s summit, Hari Caulfield, group programmatic lead for Foxtel’s Kayo, hinted at Foxtel's intentions.
“We bought into ‘Bloke in a Bar’ and ‘The Grade Cricketer’. They were purely ego. That was us taking them from Nine and Seven,” said Hari.
“So there’s a play for everyone and everything…"
Bloke with a Bar is a popular Australian media brand, podcast and YouTube channel founded by former NRL player Denan Kemp.
The Grade Cricketer, hosted by Sam Perry and Ian Higgins, is a podcast and YouTube channel that focuses on the humorous, relatable, and sometimes absurd world of club cricket, as well as professional cricket commentary.
Both collaborate with Foxtel, appearing on sport segments.
After announcing a yearly $1 billion investment in sports rights and production during the February Foxtel Group Parliamentary Showcase, the company has continually reaffirmed and redoubled its efforts on its new tech-enabled sports-centric platform focus.
“Our investment flows through the system – back into rugby league, Australian football, netball, cricket, supercars,” said Foxtel Group CEO Patrick Delany, during the parliamentary showcase.
Foxtel currently offers two sporting-centric platforms, Fox Sports and a BVOD channel, Kayo, with 50 live and on-demand sports from Fox Sports, ESPN, and beIN Sports, including AFL, NRL, cricket, and motorsport.
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