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What a Time Warner deal means for Ten?

The boundaries between our television and America’s drew a little closer this week with the announcement that US media giant Time Warner has approached Network Ten to pursue a potential takeover.

While the takeover, valued at around $680 million, is far from guaranteed to proceed – there’s the small matter of investors such as James Packer, Lachlan Murdoch, Bruce Gordon and Gina Rinehart signing off – the international television heavyweight brings a big change to Australian TV viewers.

· Foxtel drops prices, tells pirates ‘you’re welcome’
· ‘Gogglebox’ set to hit Australian TV screens in 2015

Any acquisition would be made by Turner Broadcasting System, the division of Time Warner that owns CNN and the Cartoon Network, among a wealth of cable channels and some free-to-air stations around the world. Crucially, it is an organisation that has specialised in using its extensive library of content from sports to classic cartoons. It seems to be in that vein that they are eyeing Ten.

Better control of their content worldwide may be one motivation for the acquisition. Time Warner Vice-President James Burston wrote to Ten’s financial advisers, saying that “we are excited about the opportunity to acquire a strong media asset in an attractive geographic market”.

To put it simply, Time Warner could potentially arrive with bags of content as well as bags of cash. So what could Time Warner change?

Supernatural

Time Warner show Supernatural is already on Ten. Photo: Supplied

Youth focus

In the late 1990s and for much of the 2000s, Network Ten had great success by pitching young. While Nine and Seven squabbled over the Baby Boomers, Ten acquired shows like Baywatch, The Simpsons and Big Brother and turned their targets squarely on the 35-and-under market.

It worked, but then Being Lara Bingle and The Shire happened and CEO Hamish McLennan in 2013 announced a move away from the youth market and a stronger reality TV and drama focus.

Time Warner have history of looking at an over-18s demographic and are partners in eight-year-old broadcast channel The CW – the network that broadcasts shows such as Arrow and The Vampire Diaries – which aligns nicely with Ten’s current primetime programming schedule that includes shows such as American Horror Story and Supernatural.

HBO

It is easy to speculate that such a takeover could spell doom for Foxtel’s HBO deal and their exclusive access to shows like Game of Thrones, Girls and True Detective, however, it should be noted that HBO is owned by Time Warner and not by Turner Broadcasting. Foxtel would not automatically lose their deal but they certainly would start getting nervous.

At the same time none of those shows fit easily into a traditional free-to-air offering (and censorship). If Ten were to become serious players in a streaming video service to rival the forthcoming Netflix, iTunes, Foxtel’s GO and the newcomer Stan, the joint venture from Fairfax and Nine, then you can expect Time Warner to play favourites.

Warner Bros

While HBO is the sexy name, the big programming hint lies in Time Warner’s name. With Warner Bros a wholly owned subsidiary, the movies they make, the comic properties of their own subsidiary DC Comics and, most importantly of all, the shows made by Warner Bros. Television are now in the family.

Nine have had a long-term output deal with Warner Bros. Television, which has delivered titles such as Friends, ER, Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. They will fight hard to retain the deal but may find negotiations more complicated.

Cross platforms

From CNN to NBA, Turner Broadcasting have a history of good web presence to go with their broadcast offerings. It is an area that Ten have had mixed results in and must improve upon as the propagation of screens continues.

Time Warner’s interest in obtaining a media foothold in Australia would be most unlikely to end with the idiot box.

The Flintstones

Will Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty from The Flintstones have a renaissance? Photo: AAP

Sport

Turner Broadcasting have had great success with their work with the basketball coverage, particularly through NBA.com where their League Pass is a big deal in the US. Like Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Packer before them, Time Warner will not underestimate the importance of sport in maintaining and improving Ten’s status.

The Simpsons 2.0

Turner Broadcasting also has a wealth of animation sitting in its library, ranging from the Hanna Barbera catalogue to Adult Swim. This deal could even see them bring their widespread Boomerang brand to Australia in a strange piece of reverse logic.

Ten’s first youth revolution was championed by The Simpsons, even if Bart was officially the first face of Foxtel. The next phase could be led by their ancestors, The Flintstones.

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