Foxtel and the other established pay-TV operators face years of minimal growth in subscribers and revenues, due primarily to competition from online services.
The Australian screen industry can expect minimal growth in filmed entertainment over the next five years as the boom in on-demand services is offset by the continued decline of DVD sales and rentals.
The tectonic shifts that have characterised the pandemic's impact on the screen sector are laid bare in PwC’s annual media outlook, which forecasts an ongoing migration towards digital consumption in the coming years.
There are positive signs for filmed entertainment and free-to-air television in PwC’s annual Media and Entertainment Outlook, which shows both sectors experienced a resurgence in 2021.
The proliferation of streamed subscription-based film and TV rental services will make life tougher for free-to-air broadcasters, according to PwC's Australian Entertainment and Media Outlook 2013-2017.
Despite the fragmentation of audiences and blossoming of online services, commercial free-to-air broadcasters are likely to see a modest increase in advertising revenues.
Australia’s free-to-air broadcasters are facing stagnant advertising revenues over the next five years despite the growth of their catch-up platforms and viewing on mobile devices.
Australian entertainment and media spending grew by 4.5% in 2013, below the global average, and the sector’s growth rate is projected to be even lower in the next five years.