Warner Bros. Discovery is set to launch its Max streaming service in Australia at the end of this month, and has now appointed Nine as its exclusive sales partner for advertising on the platform in the country.
Nine, which owns the Nine Network as well as streaming service Stan, among radio stations and news publications, will represent Max to advertisers for Max’s Basic With Ads tier, and receive a fee from the ads it runs.
“Launching Max with an ad-supported tier creates a compelling offer for viewers and advertisers alike, while partnering with Nine allows us to tap into their deep experience, strong relationships and proven capabilities,” said WBD’s GM Australia and New Zealand, Michael Brooks.
Nine said that while Max would have access to its “ advanced tech systems” as a result of the latest deal, Nine’s representation of WBD – combined with 9Now and Stan Sport – create “a significant scale of audience across leading Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) and Broadcast Video On Demand (BVOD) categories.”
“The combination of Max’s amazing content and world-leading advertising products with Nine’s local expertise, sales infrastructure and scale is a unique opportunity for clients in this country,” said Nine’s Acting Chief Sales Officer, Matt James.
Foxtel Group last month confirmed that it had entered into a partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery which will see Foxtel become the launch partner for the service. As launch partner, Max’s expanded content offering will be available to Foxtel’s 1.4 million residential subscribers at no additional cost to their Foxtel subscription. In addition, the Max app will be available on Hubbl. Streaming service Binge will lose access to content from Warner Discovery.
The Max app will include HBO Originals, Max Originals, and premium content from Warner Bros., Discovery, and Cartoon Network, among others.
Content will include key WBD franchises including Potter and the DC Universe, as well as House of the Dragon, The Last of Us and And Just Like That…
Max will also be available for subscription at www.max.com and via app stores, including the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
There will be a range of subscription tiers, including premium, standard and the basic ad-supported tier for which Nine will play a key role.
Australians spent $3.5 billion in streaming subscriptions in the 12 months to June 30, 2024 – a 15% increase year-on-year, according to research firm Telsyte’s annual Subscription Entertainment Study.
Netflix was the dominant player with 6.2 million subscribers, up 2%. Amazon Prime Video expanded 7% to 4.8 million, and Disney+ came in third place with 3.1 million subscribers, followed by Nine’s Stan had 2.3 million subscribers. Paramount+ increased 18% to 1.8 million subscribers, while Foxtel-owned Kayo Sports increased 14% to 1.6 million subscribers.
As the streaming wars intensify in Australia, DAZN has agreed to pay $3.4 billion for Foxtel Group, and Disney+ has announced that ESPN on Disney+ will officially launch on March 26, 2025 for subscribers in Australia and New Zealand.
