Australia Channel goes global

OTT service Australia Channel launched today, providing five channels spanning Australian news, sport, business and public affairs to more than 180 countries worldwide.

The service is available for free for the first two months, after which subscribers will pay $A9.99 (US$7.87) per month.

It is owned by Australian News Channel (ANC), a joint venture between Nine Entertainment (NEC), Seven West Media (SWM) and British Sky Broadcasting.

ANC operates the pay channels Sky News, Sky Business News, Sky News Weather, Sky News Multiview, A-PAC Australia’s Public Affairs Channel and Sky News New Zealand.

The five channels made globally available today are Australia Channel: News, Australia Channel: Business, Australia Channel: Sport, Australia Channel: Top Stories, and Australia Channel: Public Affairs, which includes coverage of federal and state parliaments, news conferences, seminars, speeches and special events.

Australia Channel is available online and can be viewed on PCs, tablets and mobile phones.

The News and Top Stories channels are being distributed in the Pacific Islands via subscription TV provider Click TV, and negotiations are ongoing with other providers.

As part of the Click TV deal, the channels are being distributed by satellite in a region which extends from the west coast of the US to New Zealand.

When the OTT service was announced last year, ANC executives said it was not intended as a replacement for the pan-Asian cable and satellite-delivered Australia Network.

Operated by Aussie pubcaster ABC, Australia Network went dark last September after the government withdrew funding. Both, however, are aimed primarily at expat Aussies.