Very true. Plus radio was meant to be relocating to a new site in Auckland replacing multiple sites that their stations are currently based at. Oaktree may sell off TV and Radio if its split?
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Been thinking about possible buyers for Mediaworks TV… short of an Angel Investor there’s only a limited pool of prospectives;
From Australia
7West - Unlikely as they’re about to buy PMG (unless the go for a mega-play and buy Stuff of Channel 9 and Mediaworks - egad!)
9 - Unlikely, they’ve shown very little interest in NZ, and still want to off-load Stuff
WIN - bloody hell, WIN? there I said it. How deep are Gordo’s pockets? Shit deep?
From farther afield
Who knows, NBC-Universal could be a goer?
How deep are Blue Ant Media’s pockets? They already own a chunk of Choice TV, and+HR=E Liff’s offering is pretty similar? Probably unlikely.
Europe? Dunno.
Dirty old NZ
TVNZ - don’t discount it, stranger things have happened. Could see a TVNZ3, Bravo going behind the paywall, Duke moving to LCN4? But would leave the market heavily skewed in their favour, so ComCom is unlikely to approve it.
SKY - uncertain, they’ve not that flushed with cash, but it would be a more level playing field. Could see +HR=E rebranded as Prime 1, and Prime move to LCN4 and rebrand as Prime 2 - have Newshub on Prime 1 and keep sport on Prime 2? It would make more sense with Bravo, which again would be paywalled. But would SKY see any benefit in doing it, I personally doubt it, unless they’re that keen on getting Mark Richardson back?
Spark - yeah, nah. They know all about redundant assets and I’d doubt they’d been that keen, especially when their colours are nailed to the streaming mast, rather than broadcasting - it’s a cost they just don’t need.
Vodafone? Maybe, they’ve a long history of acquiring other media companies like a hungry, hungry catapillar, but is linear TV for them?
NZME - Non-starter.
Antartica
Who knows that those penguins have in mind.
Anywhere else?
I guess time will tell.
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I think it’s out of TVNZ and Seven.
Warburton strikes his first deal, don’t expect it to be the last Plus he was talking up only a few days in the top job doing a deal over here to show Seven content.
How costly would it be for them to get out of deals with TVNZ to put H&A on Three again if Seven did purchase it?
Some other changes would need to be made for that to happen. Seven don’t deal with the distribution of Home and Away, TVNZ purchases the rights through EndemolShine.
The merged Sky-Mediaworks could be called SkyWorks with Sky controlling TV3 and Prime. Mediaworks are in financial-strife
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I can’t see Sky buying it, they’re probably in a worse position than Mediaworks. Not to mention just buying RugbyPass for US$40m & the rugby rights (reportedly $400 million)… But who knows, the new CEO is very ambitious…
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Don’t discount ViacomCBS either
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The Seven West and Prime merger is being done because Seven is not spending any money to buy Prime. It has been mentioned in a few stories that James Warburton has not been given any money to spend on an acquisition as Seven needs to reduce its debt. It would be odd then if Seven suddenly lashed out to buy a risky business.
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Particularly a business which itself is losing money
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Sky NZ needs a newsroom to stay in market, and sports is well covered by them. Combined with Three, it can create a stiff competition to TVNZ, Radio NZ, NZME, but it needs to be everywhere, Martin can do it.
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If Bravo was pay walled my mum would be pissed 
after years of having sky she realised she only watch that and the free channels so she ditched sky and settled for Freeview lol
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How would Kiwis feel watching a network called “7” run from Sydney.
Indifferent?
Outside media spy is the “7” brand known in NZ?
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Sky has shown that it’s not afraid to throw the chequebook around in recent months. At a cheap acquisition price, they may just buy it. Program union and league onto it, fund a stronger news front, and with the current extensive catalogue Sky already has - I think Three will survive.
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Being run from Sydney (Melbourne, anywhere) might be frowned upon, but quickly forgotten, remember Prime NZ had a quasi-affiliation with 9 in the early 2000’s and had heaps of Australian content - I don’t think anyone baulked at it.
Yes 7 is a known brand… as is 9… less so 10 since the rebrand I’d guess (ABC is well-known but barely anyone would know SBS). As for the regional commercial stations, most kiwi’s wouldn’t have a clue.
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Sky and TV3 joining Forces for a Commercial Television News Force could save Millions for Both Networks.
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Thanks for that insight - it’s about what I expected
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It is known by those who know it from Programming and use of News coverage by Three.
The finalists for the NZTV Awards for 2019 have been announced.
https://www.nztvawards.co.nz/finalists
Good to see Comedy Central is now HD. Just a shame they’re not playing some HD shows in HD…
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