TV shake-up as Channel Ten announces yet another new channel

Channel Ten has paraded its international pulling power with the launch of yet another new channel this week, further diminishing the unique catalogue of Rupert Murdoch’s ailing Foxtel.

The soon-to-be-airing 10 Shake will lean on the newly inked deal between Ten’s parent company CBS and Viacom, bringing in high-profile content from Nickelodeon and MTV.

Shake will broadcast children’s programming during the day, before switching to brand-strong content aimed at an 18-plus audience after 6pm.

Kids’ programming during the day and ‘edgy, adult’ content after 6pm feels kinda risky #10shake

— Aletha Wilkinson (@AlsyAlsy) July 13, 2020

The daytime programming will be heavily influenced by Nickelodeon, with the likes of PAW Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants and iCarly.

After 6pm, it’s core MTV viewing with Ex on the Beach, The Late Late Show With James Corden and Catfish.

It’s a move Victoria University screen media senior lecturer Marc C-Scott predicted to The New Daily four months ago.

TV commentator David Knox said Ten desperately needed this fourth channel to compete with Nine’s five streams and Seven’s four.

It’s tricky, Knox said, but the ViacomCBS merger should stand Ten in good stead, providing it hits play on the right shows at the right time.

“A split brand is something of a risk and it feels a bit like ABC Kids meets 9GO! but it will all be dependent on first-run content,” Knox told TND.

“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah is my pick of the bunch.”

Ten has not revealed the official date Shake will appear on our screens.

The unknown subscription service

For his next prediction, Dr C-Scott says Channel Ten will now dangle 10 Shake as bait to try and bring people aboard the 10 All Access express – the network’s streaming platform that has been failing to find a proper foothold in our crowded market.

You’d be hard pressed to find an Australian who has signed up to 10 All Access, despite the fact it launched in December 2018.

Dr C-Scott said it just has not been pulling in the subscriber numbers, with some TV critics dubbing it a “complete mystery“.

Knox, who is the editor of blog TV Tonight, said 10 All Access is in dire need of a rethink – and some sexy, premium content.

“From what we are hearing ViacomCBS is looking at overhauling All Access in the US, so Australia should follow suit,” Knox tipped.

“10 Shake will have more than a few noisy reality shows, whereas subscription streaming is synonymous with premium drama.”

Ten’s new decade

Dr C-Scott believes Channel Ten will have well and truly noted these criticisms, amid the less-than-ideal subscription numbers, and now it’s ready to enter the fray.

First in its sights, the weakest of the subscription gazelles: Foxtel.

Foxtel already axed its Channel V content earlier this year, Dr C-Scott said, leaving it with MTV to fill the music-shaped void.

Now, MTV is available on free-to-air TV.

While this won’t be the blow that kills Foxtel, it’s still a flesh wound, Dr C-Scott said.

The real takedown of Foxtel would be if it were to lose its sports pulling power.

This isn’t something that will happen easily, Dr C-Scott said.

“I don’t think it will happen in the near future. Kayo has seen some good numbers in uptake,” he told TND.

“The whole CBS deal does raise questions as to if Ten can get its hands on NFL content.”

The state of many, many plays

To say Australia’s streaming market is crowded is an understatement.

Although the market as a whole has reported a leap in subscription numbers during the pandemic, it’s tenuous as to how long consumers will continue to pay for multiple platforms.

Dr C-Scott has long said something will have to give, meaning there will be some providers that fall victim to bigger, more bullish competitors.

And given his prediction success rate, one would be inclined to believe him.

Home-grown Stan was dealt a blow when it was announced last month it was losing its Showtime content at the end of the year.

Disney Plus took back its content from the Nine-owned platform when it launched last year, two blows in two years that have got to hurt.

The arrival of Disney also stung Foxtel, which lost Star Wars and some Marvel goodies.

Foxtel has chalked up a couple of wins, keeping hold over a HBO deal and launching low-cost platform Binge through Streamotion, the same offshoot that brings us Kayo.

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