In 2013, ANC granted A$20 million in funding to Sky News Australia to be used over three years.[2]
In 2014, ANC partnered with Globecast to launch an international streaming service Australia Channel, which broadcasts five channels to subscribers outside Australia.[3] It was launched after ANC bid to operate the Australian Government funded Australia Network contract, before the tender was controversially scrapped.[4]
Until 2015, Sky News was responsible for producing New Zealand's Prime News – First at 5:30 from Sydney, hosted by Eric Young with filming taking place in Prime's Albany studios. It lost the contract to MediaWorks and subsequently ceased broadcasting a local New Zealand bulletin.[5]
With the carriage deal between Australian News Channel and dominant subscription television platform Foxtel due to expire in 2017, reported as either February[6] or December,[7] media speculation increased that News Corp Australia, which co-owns Foxtel, would attempt to acquire a majority stake in the company. On 26 February 2015 it was reported that News Corp Australia launched an A$25 million bid for full ownership of Australian News Channel.[8]
In June 2015, it was reported that ANC's stakeholders had rejected a News Corp takeover offer of A$20 million, with the owners wanting a minimum of A$50 million.[9] Following a breakdown in a News Corp buyout, further reports suggested Nine Entertainment could sell its stake to a joint arrangement between Seven West Media and News Corp.[7]
Acquisition by News Corp
The entire company was acquired by News Corp Australia in December 2016.[1][10] In December 2017, it was reported that News Corp and Telstra were in a carriage dispute over the price Foxtel pays to carry Sky News channels after the existing deal expired at the end of the calendar year, worth over A$30 million per year. News Corp was requesting an increase to the Sky News carriage fee, which has not been raised for more than a decade, while Foxtel co-owner Telstra was opposed.[11] A new deal was agreed upon and transmission was not interrupted.[12]