Scott Lorson the former CEO of Fetch has exited the business 18 months after Telstra snapped up 51.4% of the business back in 2022, and weeks out from the launch of a new puck that will compete head on with the new Foxtel Group Hubble offering.
Lorson has been replaced by Dominic Arena who was parachuted in from Asian telco Axiata with questions now being asked as to who will be next to go at Fetch with questions raised about the lack of profile marketing.
Arena has extensive knowledge of the Australian & Asia Pacific streaming markets having worked in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Singapore, Nepal and Malaysia in the past.
In the past Telstra who are struggling to get customers to use the Fetch TV box over products from the likes of Foxtel Group, Apple and Google have parachuted overseas executives in to fix ailing problems.
Most have not worked out, with Arena facing a tough gig as free to air TVs implode and streaming giants switch to house brand streaming services over local players such as Fetch.
As for overseas executives performing Dr Karsten Wildberger was flown in to run the retail operations for Telstra, he resigned and returned to Europe, after failing to deliver increased revenues.
Prior to that they employed a so called US retail guru and that failed then there was Gordon Ballantyne who also quiet.
In the mobile phone space Telstra former chief executive Andy Penn’s had ambitious bid to recast the telco as a technology company he hired former Nokia chief and senior Microsoft executive Stephen Elop, that relationship ended in total failure.
As for Arena, was formerly Managing Director and Partner of strategy consulting firms based in Singapore, and a Director at KPMG Advisory in Australia at one stage of his career.
Questions are also being asked about other replacements in the marketing area with Fetch struggling to get traction across the Telstra network and up against the Foxtel Group who have been growing their Kayo and Binge subscribers and recently launched Hubble which brings together free to air andBack in 2009, Lorson a season media executive who at one stage ran the Kerry Packer controlled ACP claimed that he was set to disrupt the Australian media landscape by introducing a world class content aggregation platform, forming true content and distribution partnerships, and providing exceptional customer value.
“In the subsequent 15 years, Fetch has achieved tremendous success owing to the unwavering commitment of shareholders, the efforts of an amazingly talented team, the strong support of our distribution and content partners, and the loyalty of our passionate customers,” he told Media Week.
Even now people in the media industry are scratching their heads trying to work out why Telstra actually bought into Fetch when they already owned 35% of Foxtel Group and could have easily used the new Hubble platform as an incentive for Telstra customers.
