Foxtel has confirmed it has inked a new multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to allow it to continue as the local platform for HBO, Max Originals, Warner Bros. and Discovery programming.
Under the agreement, Foxtel and its streaming service Binge retain the rights to the likes of House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, Succession and The White Lotus, as well as premiering series The Idol, White House Plumbers, The Sympathizer and The Palace.
Foxtel will also be able to showcase upcoming movies including Dune 2, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, and Barbie, while also housing channels such as Discovery, Discovery Turbo, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, CNN International, Cartoon Network and Boomerang.
The extension of the partnership brings to an end speculation that the US company was considering moving its content onto another service in Australia following the expiration of the previous Foxtel deal, having reportedly been in talks with Nine Entertainment in relation to Stan.
Further, there had been discussion about whether Warner Bros. would be launching its HBO Max streaming service in Australia in the near future, with the AFR reporting that plans have pushed back until next year.
Foxtel chief content and commercial officer Amanda Laing acknowledged that the marketplace was becoming more competitive, noting that Foxtel’s “unique set of assets”, coupled with its international reputation, helped set it apart in negotiations in with not only Warner Bros. Discovery, but also NBCUniversal, with whom it signed a deal with last year.
“When you think about the complexity of this deal across movies, library channels, HBO Max, Warner Brothers content, that is a very complex endeavor,” she told IF.
“So to do that with a partner requires a great deal of patience and commitment, as well as a strong relationship with trust and respect.”
Foxtel Group CEO Patrick Delany said the deal had optionality at its core.
“A unique business model like ours that covers multiple platforms and brands means we can partner for the long term and together we will continue to entertain millions of Australians every day for years to come,” he said.
According to Laing, the partnership will be integral to the future growth of Binge, which was launched around the time the previous deal was signed in May 2020.
She cited viewer numbers for The Last of Us and the second season of The White Lotus as evidence of Binge’s upwards trend.
“The season two premiere of The White Lotus had a 550 per cent increase [in viewership] on the season one premiere,” she said.
“Another example is episodes one to four of The Last of Us, which delivered a cumulative audience of more than 1.1 million viewers per episode.
“That will continue to grow obviously because all they’re on demand.”
The deal comes amid consultation between streaming services and the government about the shape of incoming content obligations, which will be introduced from July next year.
Foxtel, which is already subject New Eligible Drama Expenditure (NEDE) scheme, has stated that it is looking forward to “continuing to work closely with the government in the coming months as part of the consultation process”.
Laing said the partnership with Warner Bros Discovery served to support its continued investment in “high-quality Australian content”.
“Through the productions we’ve made with Michael Brooks and the team at Warner Bros, we had two hit shows in The Twelve and Love Me, both of which have been sold around the world,” she said.
“Part of this partnership is our continued investment and commitment to creating high-quality Australian scripted and non-scripted content.”