Sky News Australia

What Sky News Australia does

Sky News Australia, operating through Australian News Channel Pty Ltd, is a 24/7 multiplatform news broadcaster founded in 1996 and headquartered in Sydney. It produces over 1,500 hours of content per week across four dedicated channels — Sky News, Sky News Extra (Parliament and press conferences), Sky News Weather (Australia's only 24/7 weather channel), and FOX SPORTS News (Australia's only 24/7 sports news channel) — distributed via Foxtel, its own direct streaming service, an international Australia Channel service for overseas audiences, Sky News Radio on Nova Player and iHeartRadio, and a broad podcast library spanning opinion, news, and documentary programming.

The company sells direct-to-consumer streaming subscriptions at A$5/month or A$50/year with no lock-in contracts, accessible across web, mobile, and Smart TV apps (Samsung, LG, Apple TV, Android TV). It additionally generates digital advertising revenue through SkyNews.com.au, leveraging behaviourally targeted advertising across the wider News Corp Australia network. Distribution relies on cross-promotion and content integration with News Corp Australia properties including The Australian, Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, Courier Mail, and Adelaide Now, supplemented by the Foxtel subscription television partnership. Content centres on Australian politics, world news, business, sport, and weather, with a differentiated slate of conservative opinion programming anchored by named hosts such as Andrew Bolt, Peta Credlin, Paul Murray, Chris Kenny, Sharri Markson, and Rita Panahi.

Acquired by News Corp Australia in 2016, Sky News Australia is a wholly-owned subsidiary operating within the parent's diversified media portfolio. In July 2026 the network rebranded to News24 as part of a digital-first, multiplatform strategic shift coinciding with the opening of News Corp Australia's new eight-studio broadcast centre in Sydney and a separate digital transformation involving senior position changes. The company has also joined the SPUR Coalition on AI content licensing standards and licensed technology from Noosphere for journalist-audience communication. Internationally, content remains restricted from Australian subscription access outside Australia and is distributed overseas through the Australia Channel service.

Name

Sky News Australia

Legal name

Australian News Channel Pty Ltd

Website

http://www.skynews.com.au/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Sky News Australia is a Sydney-based 24/7 multiplatform news broadcaster, wholly owned by News Corp Australia, delivering four dedicated news channels plus radio, podcasts, and documentaries to Australian consumers via streaming subscriptions, Foxtel carriage, and an international Australia Channel service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

News Broadcasting & Streaming

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

24/7 National & International News Channels (MPABAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK)

Keywords

• News broadcasting
• Streaming subscription
• Digital media
• Opinion programming
• Video news channels

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Streaming Subscription Revenue: Monthly and annual subscription fees providing unlimited access to streaming content including four news channels, live broadcasts, on-demand shows, documentaries, and exclusive opinion programming. No lock-in contracts with automatic renewal.
2. Digital Advertising: Advertising revenue generated through the SkyNews.com.au website and digital platforms, including targeted advertising based on user browsing behavior across the News Corp network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sky News Australia operates a multi-platform news broadcasting business delivering four dedicated 24/7 streaming channels (Sky News, Sky News Extra, Sky News Weather, FOX SPORTS News) through a direct-to-consumer streaming subscription at $5/month or $50/year, with no lock-in contracts. The company also distributes content via Foxtel subscription television, the international Australia Channel, Sky News Radio (Nova Player and iHeartRadio), and an extensive podcast catalogue, complemented by digital advertising on SkyNews.com.au and News Corp Australia's integrated news network.

Product overview

Sky News Australia is a multiplatform news broadcasting company offering a unified subscription streaming service with four dedicated channels (Sky News, Sky News Extra, Sky News Weather, and FOX SPORTS News). The product portfolio includes core streaming subscription, live TV channels, radio broadcasts, podcasts, opinion programs, news shows, and original documentaries. Content spans Australian and world news, politics, business, sport, weather, and lifestyle coverage. The company operates under News Corp Australia following its 2016 acquisition of Australian News Channel, with plans to rebrand as News24 in July 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sky News Extra: Dedicated 24/7 channel featuring live press conferences and Parliament broadcasts
• Sky News Weather
• FOX SPORTS News

Products and services

• Sky News Streaming Subscription Premium streaming service providing access to four dedicated news channels, exclusive opinion shows, award-winning political coverage, documentaries, and live breaking news content for Australian viewers at $5/month or $50/year.
• Sky News Channel Australia's flagship news channel featuring award-winning journalists, opinion commentators, special investigations, live breaking news, sport and weather coverage available live and on-demand.
• Sky News Extra Dedicated 24/7 channel featuring live press conferences and Parliament broadcasts providing unfiltered access to Australian democracy in action, available live only.
• Sky News Weather Australia's only 24/7 weather channel delivering latest forecasts from the country's largest team of meteorologists, available live.
• FOX SPORTS News Australia's only 24/7 sports news channel providing first and live breaking sports news coverage, available live.
• Sky News Radio Radio broadcasting service delivered through Nova Player app and iHeartRadio platform, providing breaking news, analysis, and access to Sky News shows live or as podcasts.
• Sky News Podcasts On-demand podcast library of Sky News shows including The Bolt Report, The Bond Report, Business Now, Business Weekend, Credlin, The Kenny Report, Paul Murray Live, and The Rita Panahi Show, available across podcast apps.
• Sky News Documentaries Original documentary content including special investigations and extended interviews such as Hope Starts Here: Murdoch Children's Research Institute, John Howard: A Life in Politics, The Rise of One Nation, Bondi: A Timeline of Terror, and The Dismissal: 50 Years On.
• Sky News Daily Shows Daily news programming including AM Agenda, Afternoon Agenda, NewsDay, Politics Now, and Business Now delivering comprehensive political and business news coverage.
• Opinion Programming Collection of opinion shows hosted by prominent Australian commentators including Andrew Bolt (The Bolt Report), Peta Credlin (Credlin), Chris Kenny (The Kenny Report), Paul Murray (Paul Murray Live), Rita Panahi (The Rita Panahi Show), and Sharri Markson (Sharri).
• Australia Channel (International) International 24/7 news streaming service providing Sky News Australia content access for overseas subscribers, not available within Australia or New Zealand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500 hours of content produced weekly
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SPUR Coalition (Standards for Publisher Usage Rights)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Sky News (UK) is a founding member of the SPUR Coalition, an international alliance launched by the Guardian, BBC, Financial Times, Sky News, and Telegraph Media Group in February 2026. The coalition aims to help publishers control and monetize their content usage by generative AI applications and establish standards for transparency, accountability, and fair value exchange between AI developers and content creators. Sky News Australia, as part of the News Corp Australia network, benefits from this coalition's efforts to shape AI licensing terms.
• FoxtelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFoxtel is a key distribution partner for Sky News Australia, offering the full suite of Sky News branded channels through its subscription television platform. Foxtel provides access to Sky News, Sky News UK, and FOX SPORTS News as part of its channel lineup.
• News Corp AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSky News Australia is part of News Corp Australia's integrated news network, which includes major Australian publications such as The Australian, Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, Courier Mail, and Adelaide Now. The rebrand to News24 completes the network's integration within News Corp Australia following its acquisition of Australian News Channel in 2016.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BBC News: BBC News is both a direct distribution competitor in Australia via Foxtel and a co-founding SPUR Coalition member alongside Sky News, giving it structural overlap in news content and AI-licensing strategy.
• CNN International: Global 24/7 news network with Australian carriage; competes for the international English-speaking news audience that Sky News Australia targets via the Australia Channel.
• Fox News Channel: US-based conservative 24/7 cable news network and model for Sky News Australia's opinion-led positioning; shares Fox Sports News brand naming and comparable primetime opinion hosts.

Direct peers

• ABC News (Australia): Australia's primary public broadcaster running ABC News 24 and iview; the dominant domestic competitor for round-the-clock news consumption and political coverage with overlapping opinion and current-affairs programming.
• Nine News (9News): Nine's free-to-air news brand and 9Now streaming service compete head-to-head with Sky News for Australian breaking news, politics, and live event coverage, with overlapping D2C digital distribution.
• SBS News: Australia's multicultural public broadcaster offers multilingual news via SBS World News and SBS On Demand, directly overlapping Sky News Australia's news streaming and international coverage proposition.
• Seven News (7News): Seven's national news operation and 7plus streaming platform target the same Australian mass-market news audience as Sky News, including live event coverage and on-demand news catch-up.
• Sky News UK: UK-based sister channel sharing the Sky News brand and distribution via Foxtel in Australia; identical 24/7 news + opinion programming model, same content categories, and co-founding role in the SPUR Coalition.

Emerging players

• GB News: UK challenger opinion-led news channel that, like Sky News Australia, monetises conservative opinion hosts through streaming and linear distribution; useful comparator for digital-first opinion monetisation.
• Newsmax: US conservative news network with a streaming subscription tier directly paralleling Sky News Australia's D2C opinion-led model; competitor for right-leaning news audiences globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/skynewsaust
• Facebookfacebook.com/SkyNewsAustralia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-news-channel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sky News Australia