News Corp Australia

Who owns News Corp Australia?
News Corp Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation, an American media conglomerate listed on NASDAQ under ticker symbols NWSA and NWS. News Corporation is controlled by the Murdoch family through a dual-class share structure, with the family holding approximately 40% of the voting power. Rupert Murdoch served as Chairman until November 2023, when he stepped down and appointed his son Lachlan Murdoch as Chairman. News Corp Australia is led by Michael Miller, who serves as Executive Chairman of News Corp Australasia.

Is News Corp Australia publicly traded?
No, News Corp Australia is not publicly traded as a separate entity. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation, which is publicly traded on NASDAQ under ticker symbols NWSA (Class A) and NWS (Class B). Investors can gain exposure to News Corp Australia by purchasing shares of News Corporation.

When was News Corp Australia founded?
News Corp Australia traces its origins to 1923, when Keith Murdoch established the Herald and Weekly Times in Melbourne. The company became part of Rupert Murdoch's global media empire in the 1950s and 1960s, and was formally incorporated as News Ltd (later renamed News Corp Australia) as the Australian subsidiary of News Corporation, which was established in 1979.

What newspapers does News Corp Australia own?
News Corp Australia operates The Australian (national daily), The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), the Herald Sun (Melbourne), The Courier-Mail (Brisbane), The Advertiser (Adelaide), The Mercury (Hobart), the NT News (Darwin), and numerous community and suburban newspapers. The company is the largest newspaper publisher in Australia by circulation.

What is Sky News Australia?
Sky News Australia is a 24-hour news and opinion channel operated by News Corp Australia. It is available on Foxtel and as a streaming service. Sky News Australia provides a mix of news, opinion, and commentary programming, and has built a large digital audience through its YouTube channel and social media platforms. News Corp Australia acquired full ownership of Sky News Australia in 2016, buying out the remaining stake from British Sky Broadcasting.

What is Foxtel?
Foxtel is Australia's largest subscription television provider, offering cable and satellite television services along with streaming platforms Kayo Sports (sports-focused) and Binge (entertainment-focused). Foxtel is a joint venture between News Corp Australia (65%) and Telstra (35%). Foxtel has been transitioning from traditional cable to streaming, with Kayo Sports and Binge attracting significant subscriber growth.

What is the News Media Bargaining Code?
The News Media Bargaining Code is Australian legislation introduced in 2021 that requires digital platforms including Google and Meta to negotiate payment for news content with Australian news publishers. The Code generated significant revenue for News Corp Australia and other publishers through commercial deals with the platforms. However, in 2025, Meta announced that it would stop paying for news content under the Code, creating uncertainty about future revenue from this source.

Who is the CEO of News Corp Australia?
Michael Miller serves as Executive Chairman of News Corp Australasia, the leadership role for News Corporation's Australian operations. Miller was appointed to the role in 2016 and oversees News Corp Australia's newspapers, Sky News Australia, and the company's stake in Foxtel.

News Corp Australia's history traces back to 1923, when Keith Murdoch, an Australian journalist and newspaper executive, established the Herald and Weekly Times (HWT) in Melbourne. Murdoch had previously worked as a journalist and editor, and he built HWT into one of Australia's largest and most influential newspaper companies. HWT published the Herald (an afternoon Melbourne newspaper) and the Weekly Times, along with other publications.

Keith Murdoch died in 1952, and his son Rupert Murdoch inherited the family's newspaper interests. Rupert Murdoch, then 21 years old, took control of The News, an Adelaide newspaper that was part of the family's holdings. Murdoch quickly demonstrated an aggressive approach to newspaper publishing, expanding circulation through sensationalist coverage and competitive pricing.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Rupert Murdoch expanded his newspaper holdings across Australia. He acquired The Daily Mirror in Sydney in 1960, giving him a presence in Australia's largest media market. In 1968, Murdoch acquired the Sunday Times in London, marking the beginning of his international expansion. In 1972, he acquired The Daily Telegraph in Sydney from Sir Frank Packer, establishing News Ltd as a major force in Australian media.

In 1979, Rupert Murdoch established News Corporation as the parent company for his growing global media empire, incorporating assets in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Australian operations remained a core part of the business, with News Ltd (later renamed News Corp Australia) serving as the Australian subsidiary.

In 1987, News Corporation acquired the Herald and Weekly Times, the company originally founded by Keith Murdoch, in a deal valued at approximately AUD 1.8 billion. The acquisition gave News Corporation control of major newspapers including the Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph, and The Advertiser, making it the dominant newspaper publisher in Australia. The acquisition required approval from the Australian Trade Practices Commission and faced scrutiny over media ownership concentration.

In 1990, News Corporation nearly collapsed under the weight of approximately AUD 7 billion in debt. Murdoch negotiated with banks to restructure the company's debt, saving the business but requiring significant asset sales and financial reorganization. The company recovered and continued to expand globally, but the near-collapse was a defining moment in News Corporation's history.

In 2004, News Corporation reincorporated in the United States, moving its primary listing from the Australian Stock Exchange to the New York Stock Exchange (later moving to NASDAQ). The move was designed to improve access to capital and reduce the company's cost of capital, but it meant that News Corp Australia's financial results were reported in US dollars within News Corporation's global accounts.

In 2013, News Corporation split into two separate publicly traded companies: News Corporation (focusing on publishing and media, including News Corp Australia) and 21st Century Fox (focusing on entertainment, film, and television). The split was designed to separate the slower-growing publishing business from the more profitable entertainment operations. News Corp Australia became part of the new News Corporation.

In 2016, News Corp Australia acquired full ownership of Sky News Australia, buying out the remaining stake from British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB). Sky News Australia became a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corp Australia, giving the company full control of the 24-hour news channel.

Throughout the 2010s and 2020s, News Corp Australia faced significant challenges from declining print circulation and print advertising revenue. The company responded by investing in digital platforms, launching digital subscription models, and expanding its online presence. news.com.au became one of Australia's most visited news websites, and The Australian's digital subscription base grew steadily.

In 2020, Foxtel launched Kayo Sports, a sports-focused streaming service, and Binge, an entertainment streaming service. Both platforms attracted significant subscriber growth, helping Foxtel transition from traditional cable to streaming. News Corp Australia's 65% stake in Foxtel benefited from this growth.

In 2023 and 2024, News Corp Australia continued to invest in digital transformation. The company restructured its print operations, reducing print frequency for some community newspapers and consolidating production facilities. Digital subscriptions for major titles continued to grow, partially offsetting print revenue declines. Sky News Australia expanded its digital presence, with its YouTube channel attracting millions of subscribers.

In 2025, News Corp Australia faced ongoing challenges from the broader media industry's structural decline. However, the company benefited from Australia's News Media Bargaining Code, which required digital platforms including Google and Meta to negotiate payment for news content. The Code, introduced in 2021, generated significant revenue for Australian news publishers including News Corp Australia, though Meta announced in 2025 that it would stop paying for news content under the Code, creating uncertainty about future revenue.

News Corp Australia has faced significant controversy and regulatory scrutiny throughout its history, much of it related to the Murdoch family's influence on Australian politics and media ownership concentration.

The company's newspapers have been accused of partisan coverage, particularly favoring conservative political parties and candidates. Critics have argued that News Corp Australia's coverage of elections, climate change policy, and other political issues has been biased in favor of the Liberal-National Coalition. The company has defended its coverage as reflecting a range of editorial perspectives across its publications. The accusation of bias has been a persistent theme in Australian media criticism and has contributed to public debate about media ownership concentration.

In 2020, News Corp Australia announced that its newspapers would no longer use the term "climate change skeptic" and would instead use "climate change denier" in an effort to improve accuracy in climate coverage. The change was welcomed by some critics but questioned by others who saw it as insufficient given the company's historical coverage of climate policy.

The Murdoch family's control of News Corporation through a dual-class share structure has been criticized as undemocratic and lacking accountability. The 2023 legal challenge by Rupert Murdoch's children to his attempt to consolidate voting control with Lachlan Murdoch highlighted the family's internal divisions and the potential for future ownership disputes.

In 2025, Meta (Facebook's parent company) announced that it would stop paying for news content under Australia's News Media Bargaining Code. The decision was a significant blow to Australian news publishers, including News Corp Australia, which had received substantial payments from Meta under commercial deals negotiated following the Code's introduction. The Australian government indicated it would review the Code and consider enforcement action, but the outcome remained uncertain as of 2026.

News Corp Australia's stake in Foxtel has also faced scrutiny. Foxtel has been criticized for its pricing and for the dominance of its Fox Sports channels in Australian sports broadcasting. The company has also faced challenges from piracy and from the growth of streaming services.

The 2017 media ownership reforms, which removed restrictions on cross-media ownership, were supported by News Corp Australia and other major media companies but criticized by media diversity advocates who argued that the changes would further concentrate media ownership. The reforms have not yet led to significant cross-media mergers involving News Corp Australia, but they have increased the potential for future consolidation.