Media Super

What Media Super does

Media Super is an Australian industry superannuation fund established in 1987, serving members working in the print, media, entertainment, arts and broader creative industries. Following its April 2022 merger with Cbus Super, the fund operates as a branded division under United Super Pty Ltd (AFSL 233792), the trustee of the Construction and Building Unions Superannuation Fund, which manages over $100 billion in funds for approximately 920,000 members as of early 2025. The product portfolio centres on four accumulation accounts (Industry Super, Corporate Super, Sole Trader Super, Personal Super), two retirement income products (Super Income Stream / account-based pension and Transition to Retirement), six investment options spanning the risk spectrum from Cash through High Growth, and group insurance cover (life, TPD, income protection) issued under a group policy with TAL Life Limited. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer self-service (Member Online Portal, Employer Portal, a 'Notify Your Employer' feature) with field sales for employer onboarding and Member Advice Services, supported by industry partnerships including the Equity Foundation and Fulcrum Media Finance.

The business model is a recurring-fee structure: administration and investment management fees are deducted from member accounts, insurance premiums flow through the TAL group policy, and an internalization program (34% of investments managed internally as of June 2024, targeting 50% by 2028) has already delivered more than $1 billion in cumulative fee and cost savings from FY18 to FY24. Investment performance is a primary value driver, with the default Growth (MySuper) option returning 8.91% p.a. averaged over 41 years and ranking in the top 5 over 10, 15 and 20 years on SuperRatings. The investment book spans Australian and international equities, fixed income, unlisted infrastructure (including a US$15 billion co-investment in CyrusOne data centres with KKR and Global Infrastructure Partners), direct property (Cbus Property's $7.8B carbon-neutral office portfolio), renewable energy (Atmos Renewables via Igneo), and ~$4.5 billion in AI-linked assets. Governance is currently operating under an APRA enforceable undertaking agreed in February 2025, following an independent Deloitte Review, with a Rectification Plan in progress.

Name

Media Super

Legal name

United Super Pty Ltd ABN 46 006 261 623 AFSL 233792 as Trustee for the Construction and Building Unions Superannuation Fund ABN 75 493 363 262

Website

https://mediasuper.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Media Super is an Australian industry superannuation fund for print, media, entertainment, arts and creative industry workers, operating as a branded division of Cbus Super with over $100 billion AUM and approximately 920,000 members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Superannuation Management Fees: Media Super generates revenue through administration and investment management fees charged to member accounts. The fund is committed to keeping fees as low as possible to maximize member retirement savings.
2. Insurance Premiums: Insurance is provided through a group policy with TAL Life Limited. Insurance premiums are deducted from member accounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Media Super is an Australian industry superannuation fund providing retirement savings, investment, and insurance products to workers in the print, media, entertainment, arts and creative industries. Core offerings include multiple superannuation account types (Industry, Corporate, Sole Trader, Personal), retirement income products (Super Income Stream and Transition to Retirement), six investment options, and group insurance cover (life, TPD, income protection) underwritten by TAL Life Limited.

Product overview

Media Super is an Australian industry superannuation fund serving members in the print, media, entertainment, arts, and broader creative industries. The product portfolio centers on four core superannuation account types (Industry Super, Corporate Super, Sole Trader Super, and Personal Super), supplemented by retirement income products including Super Income Stream (account-based pension) and Transition to Retirement pensions. Members can choose from multiple investment options spanning the risk spectrum (Growth/MySuper default, High Growth, Indexed Diversified, Conservative Growth, Conservative, and Cash). The offering extends to insurance products (life, TPD, income protection via TAL Life Limited), digital self-service tools (Member Online Portal, Employer Portal), financial advice services, and educational resources. Following the 2022 merger with Cbus Super, members gained access to Cbus Property developments and a broader range of investment opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Media Super Industry Super The primary superannuation product for employees in print, media, entertainment, arts and creative industries who receive super contributions from employers.
• Media Super Corporate Super Superannuation product for employees joining through their eligible Media Super employer.
• Media Super Sole Trader Super Superannuation product designed for sole traders who make their own super contributions.
• Media Super Personal Super Superannuation product for individuals who are not currently working or are not receiving super contributions from an employer.
• Super Income Stream (Account-Based Pension) An account-based pension account that keeps money invested during retirement, providing regular payments with tax-free investment earnings.
• Transition to Retirement (TTR) Pension A pension account for members who have reached preservation age but are not yet retired, allowing reduction of work hours while maintaining income and growing super balance.
• Growth (MySuper) Investment Option Default investment option for members who have not made a specific choice, designed for long-term retirement savings with a well-diversified portfolio.
• High Growth Investment Option
• Indexed Diversified Investment Option An investment option that tracks market indices, providing diversified exposure across asset classes at lower cost.
• Conservative Growth Investment Option A more conservative investment option with lower risk, suitable for members approaching retirement who want to preserve their balance.
• Conservative Investment Option A lower-risk investment option focused on capital preservation with modest growth expectations.
• Cash Investment Option A capital-stable option that invests primarily in cash and short-term deposits, offering low risk but typically lower long-term returns.
• Insurance through Super Default and optional insurance cover including life, total permanent disability, and income protection insurance, issued under group policy with TAL Life Limited.
• Member Advice Services Financial advice services offered at different levels to help members understand their options for contributions, investments, and retirement planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9.27% return for Growth (MySuper) in calendar year 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Global Cooksafe CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Cbus Property joined as a foundation partner, committed to achieving fossil-fuel-free cooking in new buildings by 2030 and existing buildings by 2040.
• Fulcrum Media FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Specialist industry lender providing access to tax incentives and pre-sale advance loans for film and TV productions across Australia and New Zealand. As of 31 March 2026, Fulcrum has loaned more than $881 million to finance over 480 screen productions. Cbus provides a revolving loan limit of over $100 million. The relationship dates back to 2010.
• Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) Instrument FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia Super is an investor in the ACO Instrument Fund, an unlisted Australian unit trust available only to wholesale investors. The fund holds four rare stringed instruments from the 'Golden Age' loaned to the ACO musicians. Investment aligned with longer time frame and provides diversification from traditional assets.
• Chris Lucas (Restaurateur)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning restaurateur collaborating with Cbus Property to design two new signature all-electric dining experiences at 435 Bourke Street, demonstrating sustainable hospitality technology.
• Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner of the GBCA Future Homes program. Cbus Property collaborates with GBCA to develop tailored Green Star Buildings certification processes for apartments at 185 Wharf St development.
• Brookfield PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer with Cbus Property on Nine The Esplanade in Perth, a 19-storey commercial tower with 33,500sqm of lettable space.
• Screen QueenslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided Capital Grant supporting Chrysaor Studios, a Gold Coast screen hub being developed by filmmaker Christopher Amos.
• Equity FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia Super is Principal Partner of the Equity Foundation, supporting its goal to assist Equity members to grow, learn and earn performance income in the entertainment industry.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cbus Super: The parent fund of Media Super following the 2022 merger. Directly comparable as an Australian industry superannuation fund with the same trustee, investment team, and $100B+ AUM; Media Super is a branded product line within Cbus.
• Australian Retirement Trust (ART): Industry super fund formed via the merger of Sunsuper and QSuper, serving over $300B in AUM and 2M+ members. Direct peer in scale, default MySuper offering, and multi-employer industry fund model.
• Hostplus: Industry super fund focused on hospitality, tourism, sport, and recreation, with $100B+ AUM. Comparable as a sector-specific industry super with similar MySuper default, employer onboarding, and performance-driven positioning.
• REST Super: Industry super fund serving retail, fast food, and broader communities with $80B+ AUM. Comparable in scale, MySuper-led product mix, and member portal/employer portal self-service model.
• HESTA: Industry super fund for health and community services workers with $80B+ AUM. Closely comparable as a sector-specific industry super fund serving a defined professional cohort, with similar insurance-in-super, MySuper, and retirement income offerings.
• UniSuper: Industry super fund focused on higher education and research sector with $140B+ AUM. Comparable in industry-fund structure, defined-membership base, and strong long-term performance track record.
• Aware Super: Industry super fund formed from VicSuper, First State Super, and WA Super, with $160B+ AUM. Comparable in industry-fund positioning, MySuper focus, and pursuit of scale via merger to drive fee reductions.
• Spirit Super: Industry super fund from the merger of MTAA Super and Tasplan, with $50B+ AUM. Comparable as a mid-sized Australian industry super fund serving specific industry cohorts with a similar product mix and digital self-service orientation.
• CareSuper: Industry super fund for the care and community sector with $50B+ AUM. Comparable as a sector-defined industry super fund with MySuper default, insurance-in-super, and retirement income product suite.

Broad incumbents

• AustralianSuper: Australia's largest superannuation fund with over $300B AUM and a default MySuper offering. Comparable as a leading industry super fund competing for the same member pool with similar fee, performance, and digital experience benchmarks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MediaSuper
• Xx.com/MediaSuper
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2008122

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Media Super